


Underneath the Moonlight

by Skaboom



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Coffeeshop AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Humans AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Most of these trigger warnings are pretty mild but I wanted to have them, TW: Dead sibling, TW: Organ failure/transplant, TW: Past age gap relationship (everyone 18+), Thiam Big Bang 2020, tw: bullying, tw: car accident, tw: mentions of physical abuse, tw: past abusive relationship, tw: underage drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:54:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 68,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27555655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skaboom/pseuds/Skaboom
Summary: When Liam Dunbar crashes his mother's car, he is forced to spend the summer working at a hip Beacon Hills coffee shop to pay for the repairs. The only thing worse than losing his summer to a crappy job? Having to work with his old high school enemy, Theo Raeken. However, things aren't always as they seem, and as the summer goes on, Liam realizes that there is more to Theo, and to himself, than he ever imagined possible - both good, and bad.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, side pairing: Mason Hewitt/Corey Bryant
Comments: 71
Kudos: 134
Collections: Thiam Big Bang 2020 Collection





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry for the Thiam Big Bang 2020!
> 
> There is AMAZING art for this story by Gallows, and the masterpost containing SPOILERS is [here!](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/post/634866343850786816/thiambigbang2020-officialthiamlibrary) (Some works go with specific chapters, and links to those will be posted in the notes for the chapters they correlate to, so make sure you read those!) You can also find Gallows on AO3 [ here! ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Underthegallowws/pseuds/Underthegallowws) and tumbler [here!](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Specific art for Chapter One can be found [here!](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634868101683593216/tumblr_QFb09iaDZY1m7qwXx)
> 
> This fic was Beta'd by the wonderful Max, found at AO3 [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chilibabie07) and on Tumblr [here!](https://what-the-hell-is-a-sourwolf.tumblr.com/)

“Liam Eugene Dunbar,” Jenna looked down at her son, her arms folded across her chest, her expression fierce with rage.  
  
Liam sat on the couch beneath her glare, looking nothing short of sheepish. His left wrist was in a brace, and he had a few bruises and scrapes on his face and arms, but other than that, he was fine, and he was lucky. His mom’s Prius was in nowhere near as good of shape as he was, but the tree that he had hit seemed to be doing better than either.  
  
“I know,” Liam said. “I’m sorry!”  
  
“You’re _sorry_ ?” She said. “ _Sorry?_ You were texting and driving! You’re lucky that you weren’t killed! You’re lucky that all you hit was a tree! You’re lucky that you didn’t kill anyone else! I’m…” she trailed off, raking a hand through her hair, as though she was too upset to physically think of more words. 

“I know, I-”  
  
“No. There is absolutely no excuse. You’re 20 years old, for god’s sake! I thought you were smarter than this!”  
  
“I am!” Liam did his best to defend himself. “I just...it was a moment of weakness, bad judgement, I promise!”  
  
“Well, that moment of weakness could have gotten you killed, or worse!”  
  
“Worse than killed?!” Liam looked shocked.  
  
“Yes. You could have died, and taken someone else with you,” she snarled.  
  
“Okay, that’s…” Liam gulped, feeling cowed, because yes, his mother did have a point here. “Okay.” He nodded. “I understand, it won’t happen again.”  
  
“I know that it won’t,” she said. “It’s bad enough to wake up in the middle of the night to the phone call that your son has been in a car accident, it’s somehow worse to know that it was his own fault? That he was being so stupid, and I just can’t right now, Liam.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” he said again, his tone miserable, though it was hard to say if he was miserable because he was being shouted at, or if he was miserable because he was disappointed in himself.  
  
“You should be,” she said. “And you know what? To drive home just how _not_ okay this was, you’re going to pay this off. Every penny of it. This summer, you are going to stay here and get a job.” She narrowed her eyes. “Full time.”  
  
“What?!” Liam’s eyes widened. “But I was supposed to-”  
  
“I don’t care,” she said.  
  
“But where am I supposed to find a job?” He asked. “All the summer jobs-”  
  
“Kathy,” she said. “I was talking to Kathy earlier, and she mentioned that one of her staff had to take a leave of absence this summer, and she needs help at the coffee shop, so I am going to call her as soon as it is a reasonable hour, and tell her that you are going to be the help that she is looking for.”  
  
“But I don’t want to work at a coffee shop!”  
  
“I don’t care what you want,” she said. “I don’t care at all. You need to learn a lesson, you need to learn that this is not okay, and if you have to learn that making lattes all summer long instead of playing with your friends, so be it.”  
  
“I’m 20 years old, I don’t play with my friends!” he said.  
  
“Well, right now, you owe me a shit ton of money for car repairs, I’m not sure what they will be with insurance, but my premium is gonna go up, so that’s going to cost you, too, so…”  
  
“Mom, you’re not being fair!”  
  
“You have never worked a day in your life,” Jenna said. “Your stepfather and I have given you everything, and I think this is a good time for you to do that. We should have had you get a job ages ago, but we wanted you to focus on school, and you had lacrosse...and you’ll still be able to see your friends, you won’t be grounded, so it will be 40 hours a week of work, and the rest of the time is yours.” She paused. “No car privileges, though, and David and I won’t be driving you every time you need it.”  
  
“Can…” Liam sighed. “Look, I’m really, really tired, can we talk about this tomorrow?” He asked.  
  
“Oh, you mean later today?” Jenna seethed.  
  
“Yes,” Liam groaned.  
  
“Oh, don’t you worry, we will most _certainly_ be talking about it later in the day, but you have to understand that this is a big deal.”  
  
“I get that!” Liam argued. “Really, I do! Do you think that this is fun for me? I’m aching all over, and-”  
  
“I know, sweetie, and I’m sorry that you’re hurt, but you had me really, really scared, and I just...I need you to do this. It’s non-negotiable. If Kathy will give you the job at **Banshee,** you’re taking it.”  
  
“God,” Liam rolled his eyes. “Even the name is lame.”  
  
“Young man, you are on thin ice,” Jenna warned.  
  
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Liam held his hands up in defense, wincing slightly, as he was still adjusting to his sprained wrist. Luckily, he would only have to wear the brace for a few days, but it wasn’t exactly a rockin’ good time. “I understand, and I’ll do the job,” he said softly. “I just want to go to bed, can I? Please?” he asked, practically whining.  
  
“Fine.” She nodded, gesturing towards the stairs. “I’m glad that you’re going to be able to sleep because my adrenaline is going full blast-”  
  
“Mom, I’m sorry,” he said again, this time, his tone much more genuine. “I’m sorry that I scared you, and I’m sorry that I was careless, and I won’t let it happen again.”  
  
“That’s a good start,” she said, her tone softening. “You still have to get a job, though.”  
  
“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “I thought that might be the case.”  
  
“Go to bed.” She sighed. “We’ll talk more about this later.”  
  
Without saying anything, Liam slunk up the stairs to his room, and closed the door behind him. This was the first time that something like this had ever happened to him, and he felt awful about it. One small lapse of judgement had led to something very scary, and he just wanted some time to process.  
  
Alone. 

Liam sat down on the edge of his bed and instantly buried his head in his hands. He was embarrassed, ashamed, and in pain. One moment, he had been driving home from a party - sober, he might add, as he had been the designated driver, and after dropping off Mason and a couple other friends, yeah, he had maybe checked a text, and started to reply, when SMACK, a tree had come out of nowhere, and that was that.  
  
Luckily, the airbag had deployed perfectly, and he had only barely been hurt, and even luckier, his mom’s car was damaged, but probably not totaled, but still. It wasn’t exactly a good experience. It had not been fun to call his mom and wake her and his stepdad up from their sleep to tell them what had gone down, and it had not been fun to have them arrive at the hospital to get him together in David’s car, his mother lecturing him all the way home, even though he knew that he deserved it.  
  
When deputies had arrived at the scene, he had panicked, and yeah, he had been honest. He had admitted to taking his eyes off the road for one second to text, and that had been all that anyone cared about, and he got it. He knew that it was irresponsible, but he had never thought that it would actually happen to him. It wasn’t like this was the first time he had taken his eyes off the road for two seconds, but apparently, if you do something enough, eventually it bites you in the ass.  
  
The fact that his mom wanted him to get a job at her friend, Kathy’s, very popular coffee shop, **Banshee Coffee & Tea** , wasn’t all that bad, he supposed, but being told that he had to get a job as a punishment was...embarrassing. Having to tell Mason that he couldn’t go on their beach camping trip next week because he had to get a job to pay for his mom’s wrecked car was embarrassing, and he didn’t want to have to deal with that shit, but what was he supposed to do? He had done the crime, and as they say, he was going to have to do the time.  
  
“Fuuuuck,” he sighed, flopping back on his bed and staring up at the ceiling. This was his last summer before his senior year of college, this was really his last chance to just hang out with his best friend and have a good time, and he had ruined it by being a fucking idiot. What the hell was he supposed to do with that?  
  
Learn how to make coffee, he supposed.  
  
He closed his eyes, with the light still on, still fully clothed, and, overcome with exhaustion from the night’s events, fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
When Liam woke up the next morning, his body was aching and his head was pounding, though not, as he initially thought, from alcohol. As he noticed the black brace on his wrist, he sighed, recalling what had happened the night before. He could hear the sounds of his mom and David moving around downstairs, and reached for his phone to find it dead.  
  
_Well, at least it wasn’t broken_ , he thought as he fumbled for his charger and plugged it in, waiting a few seconds for it to spring to life and inform him that it was 9:37 in the morning.  
  
He could stay up here, pretend to be asleep, and avoid his mother and what was coming, but that would only be delaying the inevitable, and he might as well get it over with. With a sigh, and still in his clothes from the night before, Liam got up and trudged downstairs.  
  
“Morning,” he said sleepily as he headed for the coffee pot.  
  
“Morning,” David said, nodding in Liam’s direction from where he sat at the breakfast table. He looked considerably more well rested than Liam and Jenna, given that he had gone back to sleep as soon as they had returned home, and missed the bulk of Liam’s lecturing.  
  
“Are you off today?” Liam asked, making small talk.  
  
“On call.”  
  
“Ah.” He never really knew David’s schedule at the hospital because it was always changing, but he would have preferred the other man not be here right now. Sure, David had been in his life for a really long time, but he was still Liam’s stepfather, and as a result, there was something sort of embarrassing about him being present when Liam was getting in trouble with his mother.

“I spoke to Kathy,” Jenna said, looking up from her own mug of coffee.  
  
“Wow, not even a good morning first?” Liam asked.  
  
“Liam…” and back was that same warning tone from last night - the one that she only used when she was really upset, and one that Liam had learned long ago meant not to test her.  
  
He was smart enough to obey.  
  
“Alright, I’m sorry,” he said. “What...what did she have to say?” He asked.  
  
“She said she would love to have you on board, and you can start today.”  
  
“What?” Liam’s eyes widened. “But I’m hurt!” He held up his injured wrist to point out that he wasn’t exactly in tip-top condition at the moment.  
  
“Yes,” she said with a nod. “You have a sprained wrist, that sucks, but you’ll only be shadowing and training for a few days anyways, okay? You’ll be fine. I asked her if the injuries you had would get in the way, and she said they wouldn’t be an issue.”  
  
“Fine.” Liam knew that he wasn’t going to win this fight - he was pretty sure that there wasn’t even a fight to begin with, that it was better to just let her have her way, because she was going to get it anyways. Neither of them needed the disaster of a huge argument, they had both been through enough already. “What time does she want me there?”  
  
“Lucky for you, you don’t have to go in until 11, so you have about an hour to get all cleaned up and ready to go, and I’ll drive you, since it’s your first day.” She paused to take another sip of her coffee. “Don’t get used to it.”  
  
“Don’t worry,” Liam groaned. “I won’t.”  
  
“You know,” she said. “I really am glad that you’re okay, right? I know that it feels like I’m being hard on you, but you really scared me.”  
  
“Yeah.” Liam bit his lip, sitting down with his coffee across from his mother and stepfather. It felt a little less like an interrogation than he had expected, so he supposed that was good. “I know, and I really am sorry for that.”  
  
“Okay.” She smiled gently, and reached across the table, ruffling his hair. “I love you, bub, I really do.”  
  
“I know.” He nodded. “I love you, too, and I promise, this will never happen again.” He paused. “I’m not asking for any of my privileges back,” he said quickly. “I just want you to know that regardless, I won’t make the same mistake twice.”  
  
“Good.” Jenna nodded. “I have to say, I am really, really glad to hear that, Liam.”  
  
Liam didn’t know what else to say. He still felt embarrassed and uncomfortable, so he stood up again and went to the cupboard, getting a box of cereal, and making himself a quick breakfast. 

It was pretty quiet for Liam for the next hour. He ate quickly and retreated to his room to shower and get ready for his first day at work. He wasn’t sure what to wear to work at a coffee shop, and he wound up calling Mason for advice...which resulted in him having to tell his best friend everything that had gone down, but he knew that he was going to have to tell him at some point anyways. Mason was mortified, and had offered to drive him, but Liam explained that his mother was already taking him, then promptly asked if Mason could pick him up, and Mason, being the best friend in the universe, said yes instantly. He seemed more worried about Liam than anything else, and while Liam knew that his mom and stepfather’s reactions had been based in worry as well, he was glad to have Mason.  
  
Really glad.  
  
“You look nice,” Jenna said with a smile - almost prideful, Liam thought, as he made his way back downstairs.  
  
“Yeah?” Liam smoothed down his maroon henley and dark wash jeans. It wasn’t a fancy outfit by any stretch of the imagination, but he felt that he looked nice enough to make lattes.

Or at least to learn how to make them. 

“Yes.” She kissed him on the top of the head, and as they piled into her car, Liam felt that, at least she was softening up towards him.  
  
Still, he wasn’t exactly void of anxiety, and when he stepped out of the car to his mother wishing him good luck, he sort of wished that he could just melt into the ground. It was hot enough, after all.  
  
That feeling was increased tenfold when he walked into the coffee shop to see just about the last person that he wanted standing behind the counter.  
  
Theodore fucking Raeken.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Theo was wearing a dark green shirt with a black apron over it emblazoned with  **Banshee Coffee & Tea** , as well as his name stitched into it, and a shit eating grin.    
  
Liam and Theo had gone to school together, and suffice to say, they had never exactly been the best of friends. Liam had been in with the “in” crowd, and Theo? He had been in with the “out” crowd. Hell, he had basically been the king of the “out” crowd. He wore leather jackets and a smirk, even when it was 90 degrees outside, and he had been a douchebag for the entire time that Liam had known him.   
  
They ran in two different circles, circles that did not get along  _ at _ all, and Liam even vaguely remembered Theo threatening to kill him sophomore year.   
  
Okay more than vaguely. It had been an extremely vivid threat, and Liam had steered clear of Theo ever since. Theo’s sister had died when Theo was 10, and though it had never been confirmed, there had been rumors circulating since then that Theo had been the one to do her in, and that their parents had covered it up to avoid losing both children.    
  
Theo had leaned into them, and honestly, it was disgusting, and yeah, it had Liam pretty shaken. However, with leaving school, and not seeing him every day, Liam had forgotten about it, forgotten about Theo entirely, but now he was face to face with him, and the memories of their head-knocking were right in his face.   
  
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t little Liam Dunbar.”   
  
“You’re like, an inch taller than me,” Liam snarled.    
  
“Two,” Theo said with a smug look on his face.    
  
“Get fucked,” Liam snarled.    
  
“Aw, that’s no way to talk to your manager…”   
  
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Liam groaned. “Manager?”   
  
“Yup.” Theo popped the ‘p’ on the end of the single worst word Liam had maybe ever heard in his life, and Liam wanted to punch him square in the jaw.    
  
“Liam!” Kathy came out from the back, grinning, before Liam had time to do anything about it, however. “It’s so good to have you here! When your mom called me this morning and said that you were looking for a job, I couldn’t help but think about how perfect that was!”

She pulled Liam into a hug, and he couldn’t help but wince. It seemed as though Jenna had not told Kathy why, exactly, Liam was in the market for a job, or if she had, Kathy was keeping her mouth shut about it. Either way Liam was grateful. He didn’t need Theo hearing all about it and teasing him for it all day. The wounds were still fresh - literally and figuratively, and he wasn’t about to deal with Theo’s needling all day.    
  
Well, a least not about that.    
  
“And I know you know Theo, he said that you went to school together! When I mentioned that you were the new trainee, he was so excited! You must be good friends.”   
  
“Er…” Liam looked at Theo, confused. “Something like that…”   
  
Theo just shrugged from behind the counter, that smug grin still in place on his face, and Liam couldn’t help but think that god, this guy probably really  _ was _ some sort of sociopath.    
  
“Well, that’s good - he’ll train for the next week, and then if that goes well, you’ll just be on shift together, and it’ll be easy as pie! I find it all goes much more smoothly when my staff work regular shifts, with the same people. It helps to streamline everything, and makes it a lot less confusing.”   
  
“So...we’re going to be working together all summer?” Liam asked, feeling a roiling anxiety grow in the pit of his stomach.    
  
“Yup!” Kathy said brightly. “Anyways, I’m off, my number is pinned to the board in the back if you need anything, but Theo has been a manager here for two years now, and he’s the best there is, so you should be just fine.” She winked, and with that, headed out the door.    
  
Liam turned to look at Theo, unable to help the feeling that he had just been thrown to the wolves.   
  
“Okay,” Theo said. “So we had you come in at 11 because it’s usually slow from now until about noon,” he explained. “Which will give me enough time to show you, like, the general ropes I guess? Here.” He reached back and tossed Liam an apron.    
  
Liam unrolled it and noticed that it was basically just like Theo’s, but with no name stitched onto it. Maybe you had to work there a certain amount of time to get that.    
  
Or maybe you had to be a smug douchebag, either way, Theo had a reason.    
  
Liam put the apron on and moved behind the counter, despite not really wanting to get any closer to Theo.    
  
“So, I’m going to train you on the register first, because when we get really busy, at least until you’ve been here longer and suck less, you’re going to take orders, and I’m going to make them.”   
  
“Fine.” Liam nodded.    
  
He didn’t like this pushiness in Theo, he didn’t like the other man telling him what to do, especially not with how much Theo was clearly enjoying it, but at the same time, what was he supposed to do? He needed this job to keep his mom from murdering him, and apparently Theo was a part of that. He couldn’t exactly bitch to Kathy about how much he did not want to be paired with Theo, because she seemed so over the moon about them knowing each other, and well, as his mother had said last night, he was already on pretty thin ice.    
  
He couldn’t afford for it to break.    
  
“What happened to you, anyways?” Theo asked, gesturing to the brace on Liam’s wrist.    
  
“Nothing, just an accident,” he said with a shrug.    
  
“Whatever you say,” Theo said with a smirk that told Liam that Theo didn’t believe him...or at least that Theo suspected there was more to the story. “So anyways, first thing to know about working here at  **Banshtea** -”   
  
“ **Banshtea** ?” Liam raised an eyebrow.    
  
“Yeah, it’s, you know, a faster way of saying  **Banshee Coffee & Tea** .”   
  
“Right…” Liam wrinkled his nose, because, well, he sort of hated it, but knocking the name of the place that would be signing his paychecks was probably not a good look.    
  
“So,” Theo said, clearly annoyed that he had been cut off. “The first thing to know about working here is that we pride ourselves on quality. If you make something, and it doesn’t look quite right, dump it and make it again - or better yet, just take the care to do it right the first time, if you’re even capable of that.”   
  
“I can make coffee,” Liam snapped.    
  
“Oh yeah?” Theo tilted his head to the side. “Fine, forget the register for now. Make me a triple extra hot white chocolate mocha.”   
  
“Uh…” Liam looked over Theo’s shoulder at the industrial espresso machine, and suddenly felt very, very small.    
  
“That’s what I thought.”   
  
God, Liam wanted to slap the smirk right off of Theo’s face, but at the same time, he knew that he had walked right into that one, so he wasn’t sure that he really had anyone to blame but himself for what he was dealing with right now.    
  
Both because of the accident he had caused last night, and his big mouth.    
  
“What? Cat got your tongue?” Theo asked, head tilted to the side. “That’s a new look for you.”   
  
“Just shut up and show me how to work the register,” Liam snarled.    
  
Theo, surprisingly, did just that. He showed Liam how to open it, how to ring in various things, and when the first customer came, Liam watched over Theo’s shoulder while he punched everything in.    
  
“Just stand back and watch,” Theo said as he grabbed a cup with the **Banshee** logo on it and proceeded to get to work on the cappuccino.    
  
Liam watched as he switched levers, and steamed milk, and did god knows what else. He finished with a flourish, and Liam wasn’t even sure that much time had passed at all. Clearly, Theo knew what he was doing, and that boiled Liam’s blood a little.    
  
Then again, if he was bad at his job, Kathy wouldn’t have made him a manager, so he supposed it made sense, even if he would have relished in Theo falling flat on his face in the workplace.   
  
“Have a nice day, Cynthia” Theo said to the customer as he handed over the drink, and to Liam’s shock, his tone sounded genuine. “Give Sadie a scritch behind the ears for me.”   
  
“Oh, you know I always do,” the woman said with a smile, taking her drink and leaving, but not before putting a $5 bill in the tip jar.   
  
To Liam, it was insane how Theo could go from massive douchebag, to smarmy customer service guy in a matter of seconds, but Cynthia seemed satisfied, and he was sure whatever Sadie was was just a ploy for Theo to get a better tip.    
  
What a fucking asshole.    
  
“That was Cynthia,” he said. “She’s a regular. You’ll get used to her, she’s here pretty much every day, and if it’s slow like it is now, she’ll probably ask if you want to see pictures of her cat. The answer is always yes.”   
  
“What, because the customer is always right?”   
  
“No,” Theo rolled his eyes. “Because her husband died last winter, and Sadie’s her pride and joy.”   
  
“Oh.” Liam, once again, felt very, very stupid, and that was not a feeling that he was enjoying, especially not in the presence of Theo, but he got the impression that he was either going to have to get smarter, or get used to it, because Theo was probably going to do his best to set Liam up as often as possible, and Liam didn’t want to deal with that if he didn’t have to.    
  
“You’re gonna spend the rest of the day on the register,” he said. “And then once you’ve got the hang of that, you can learn how to make drinks, hopefully tomorrow.”   
  
Liam felt like that “hopefully” was a little condescending, but he didn’t say anything. After all, there was another customer coming.    
  
“Hi, welcome to  **Banshee** ,” Theo said to the man. “This is my trainee, Liam, he’s going to take your order, so if he’s a little slow, that’s why!”   
  
Liam could have kicked Theo for how embarrassing that was, but he said nothing. Instead, he put a smile on his face, and did his level best to try and find the right buttons on the register while Theo got to work on his drink. Somehow, Theo had the drink ready and on the counter before Liam had even finished giving the man his change, and the wink that Theo shot him made Liam feel as though he could just die right then, and it would be a lot better than having to endure even a minute more of this.    
  
The minutes seemed to drag by, and though Liam was starting to get the hang of this, as it picked up, he made a few mistakes. Theo corrected them, condescendingly, of course, and he had an ease with the customers that seemed to utterly charm them. Not Liam, though. He knew better than to be charmed by Theo Raeken’s utter bullshit, though he had to admit that, as it grew closer to 3:30 (and Liam’s ending time, according to Theo), it was impressive that Theo had barely broken a sweat when Liam, himself, felt drenched...just from working the register.    
  
“Hey, you’ll get used to it,” Theo chided. “Just because you’ve never worked a day in your life doesn’t mean you can’t learn.”   
  
“Do you have to be such a dick?” Liam shot back.    
  
“Works for you, so might as well work for me, right?”   
  
Liam opened his mouth to respond, when someone came bursting through the door, running towards the counter. Liam looked wide eyed at Theo, but the other man seemed completely unphased.    
  
“You’re not late,” Theo said. “Deep breaths, idiot.” However, there was absolutely no malice behind his words. They didn’t carry the same barbs that his jabs at Liam did.    
  
“Wait, shit, really?” The young man stopped, looking surprised, and Liam recognized him.    
  
Corey Bryant.    
  
They had been on the lacrosse team together, but Corey had been second string, and hadn’t hung out with Liam and the rest of his first string friends.    
  
“Yeah dude. Go in the back, have some water, you look like you’re about to pass out.”   
  
“I fuckin’ might,” Corey replied, then stopped, seeing Liam. “Liam Dunbar?”   
  
“He’s the new addition to the team,” Theo said before Liam could get a word in.    
  
“Well butter my ass and call it a biscuit,” Corey said.    
  
“You wish,” Theo poked him in the arm. “Water. Now. I’m not staying late just because your sorry ass can’t hydrate.”   
  
“Yes  _ mother _ ,” Corey said, rolling his eyes, but again, Liam could tell there was no real weight behind the words. “Welcome to the team, Dunbar.”   
  
“Thanks.” Liam shot Corey a smile, and watched as he headed into the back room.    
  
“So you know Corey,” Theo said. “He and Tracy Stewart take over after us.”   
  
“Is this place entirely staffed by people we went to high school with?” Liam asked.    
  
“Beacon Hills is small,” Theo shrugged. “It’s those of us that stayed behind that tend to man the coffee shops. I wouldn’t expect a fancy college boy like you to understand.”   
  
“Okay, not everything I do is stupid, Theo,” Liam retorted.    
  
“Look, just hang your apron up and get out, you’re done for the day. I’ll see you at 7:30 tomorrow.”   
  
“ _ 7:30 _ ?” Liam exclaimed. “In the  _ morning _ ?!”    
  
“No, at night, when everyone wants tons of espresso,” Theo deadpanned. “Yes, in the morning, you dunce.”   
  
“Jesus, alright, fuck. That’s so early.”   
  
“You’ll adjust, princess.”   
  
Liam merely rolled his eyes, feeling an immense gratitude fill him as the bell above the door rang, and Mason walked in.    
  
“You ready?”   
  
“Oh, so ready,” Liam said. “Just let me hang my apron up, and I’ll be right there.”   
  
“Sure thing.”   
  
Liam disappeared into the back room to hang his apron up, passing Corey, who was headed to the front on his way. He gave him a polite nod, but said nothing, and eagerly joined his best friend a moment later.    
  
“Wait, wait,” Mason said as Liam started to walk towards the door. “Is that Corey Bryant?”   
  
“Yeah, why?” Liam asked.    
  
“Um, cause he got super cute? When did he get cute?”   
  
“How should I know?” Liam said. He wanted to get out of here, and Mason stalling wasn’t exactly the best part of his day...though it was hardly the worst, either.    
  
“You know, I think I want a cup of joe for the road,” Mason said.    
  
“I will buy you a cup of coffee literally  _ anywhere _ else,” Liam urged.    
  
“I came to pick me up, you owe me.”   
  
“Theo Raeken is my training manager,” Liam said.    
  
“Oh, fuck.” Mason bit his lip. “Yeah, okay, off we go.”   
  
Mason had never fully understood his best friend’s beef with Theo, but he knew that it went all the way back to high school, and he remembered how scared Liam had been for the first few days after Theo had threatened him. Mason (as well as others) had convinced Liam that it was an empty threat, and that he was just being a jerk, but there were sensitive sides to Liam that a lot of people didn’t see, and Mason? He saw them, and he had his friends’ back.    
  
Even though he was still pretty sure that he didn’t know the full story.    
  
“So, Theo’s your manager, huh?” Mason asked once they were safely in his car and out of  **Banshee** .   
  
“Yes,” Liam groaned. “As if this summer couldn’t get any worse, he’s literally my boss. My sworn enemy is in control of my life.”   
  
“Sworn enemy?” Mason asked, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t you think that’s a little bit dramatic?”   
  
“I’ve had a rough 24 hours,” Liam whined. “I’m allowed.”   
  
“Alright, fair’s fair.”    
  
Mason backed out of the parking lot, and Liam couldn’t help but feel grateful that he had Mason as his best friend - he knew that he would be a lot worse off without the other man.    
  
Anger had always been a part of Liam’s life, but it had come and gone in waves, and everything that had ever happened to Liam? Well, Mason had been there for it.    
  
On the outside, Liam knew that it looked like he led a charmed life, and in a lot of ways, he did. He lived in a nice house, he went to a nice college and he wasn’t going to have to worry about student debt when he graduated. He had a nice mother, and a nice stepfather, he had been the star of the lacrosse team, and super popular in school, but it was Mason who knew him deeper than all of that.    
  
Mason had been Liam’s best friend since they had met the first day of kindergarten, and had they not been the first two names drawn to use the blocks, Liam wasn’t sure that his life would be half as good as it was now.    
  
Mason had been there when he’d gotten into his first fight in the second grade. He had stood up for Liam, and told the teacher that it wasn’t Liam’s fault - that, while yes, Liam had thrown the first punch, Barry Altman had been goading him along, and he had refused to talk to, or even acknowledge, their principal for weeks after Liam was suspended for the fight, and Barry wasn’t.    
  
He had also been there when Liam’s father had left only a year later. At 8 years old, it had taken Liam some time to grasp that the fights and the slamming door, followed by the sound of his father’s car starting up and driving away, meant that the man was never going to come back. For weeks, he had come home from school convinced that his dad would be there, even as his father’s things were packed away and shipped off, and his mother explained that he wasn’t coming back.   
  
Mason had been there for Liam when the realization that his father truly was gone sunk in, and Liam cried. He had cried because he was sad, angry, and because he didn’t understand. He had cried because he didn’t know what he had done to drive the man away, and no matter what his mother said, no matter how many times she told him that it wasn’t his fault, he had cried because he didn’t believe her.

It had taken Liam a long time to come to terms with everything, especially when his father hadn’t even called on his birthday that year...or any year following, for that matter, and even long after Liam’s teachers and classmates felt he should be over it, Mason had been there to put an arm around Liam while had cried.    
  
As Liam had grown, he had cried less and fought more, but his outbursts had been misjudged by almost everyone except for Mason (and Liam’s mother, and eventually step father), and Liam was eternally grateful to have his best friend with him. Hell, Mason had even helped get him over his first real heartbreak, when Hayden Romero, Liam’s first girlfriend and first love, had broken up with him because her family was moving away, and the distance was just too hard for a pair of 16 year olds.    
  
Liam knew that Mason would understand, even when no one else did. He always had so far.    
  
“It’s just tough, you know?” Liam groaned. “Because he’s so cocky and condescending, and it makes me so mad!” He shook his head. “He intentionally made me look bad like 15 times, and it’s like, come on! It’s my FIRST day, give me a break! I bet he wasn’t perfect on his first day, and I bet whoever trained him didn’t throw him under the bus the way that he did me!”   
  
“I’m sorry, dude, that sucks,” Mason said - and not in that emotionless, brushing off kind of way that Liam was sure most people would. “Can you ask to be assigned to someone else?”   
  
“It’s a really small shop,” Liam said. “And Theo like...told Kathy he was excited to work with me, so if I complain, I’m the asshole, and if I lose this job, I’m going to have to figure out how to find another job for the summer, because my mom is getting the damage on the car figured out as we speak, and it’s probably going to be a lot.”   
  
“That’s tough,” Mason said. “I mean working is one thing, yeah, like, I get that part, but having to work with someone that’s essentially trying to fuck you over is not ideal.”   
  
“No, definitely not ideal,” Liam sighed, leaning back against the seat of the car. “This was supposed to be the best summer of my life, and now it’s a bag of flaming dog shit.”   
  
“Vivid,” Mason said, unable to hold back a slight laugh.    
  
“Ugh, not helping,” Liam groaned.    
  
“Right, sorry, sorry,” Mason coughed, trying to compose himself. “Hey, at least you’ll have me to pick you up all summer!”   
  
“Yeah?” Liam asked, brightening up a little at that.    
  
“Mhmm.” Mason smiled. “I gotta see what’s up with Corey Bryant.”   
  
“Seriously?” Liam said. “I’m pouring out all of my problems to you, and you’re thinking about getting laid?!”   
  
“Sorry!” Mason laughed. “But I mean, come on. It’s a win/win! You get a ride home, and I get to see what his deal is! I didn’t expect there to be any summer fling potential in Beacon Hills, but I don’t know, he’s looking good!”   
  
“What about that guy you met at college?”   
  
“Who, Bob?” Mason wrinkled his nose. “He’s a good time, but it’s not serious.  _ He’s _ not serious, and if I’m gonna date someone, they have to be at least a little serious.”   
  
“I think he’s friends with Theo,” Liam said, disgusted.    
  
“What, who, Bob?”   
  
“No, dingus,” Liam rolled his eyes. “Corey.”   
  
“I mean, they work together, it makes sense,” Mason said with a shrug.    
  
“Do you really want to date someone who’s friends with Theo Raeken?” Liam asked.    
  
“Who said anything about dating?” Mason said. “I recall the words “summer” and “fling” being thrown around.”   
  
“Well cool, you have a fun, sexy summer fling and I’ll just stew in the trauma of working with my worst enemy. You’re a great best friend.” Liam gave him a thumb’s up.   
  
“Hey,” Mason furrowed his brow. “I’m not doing this to spite you, dude, you could have a summer fling if you wanted.”   
  
“I don’t want to.”   
  
“Well, there you have it.” Mason sighed as he pulled into Liam’s driveway. “Look, if he’s a dick, I won’t pursue it, but he doesn’t look like a dick, I mean did you see him? He’s got those big brown eyes, and he’s all...cute and shit.”   
  
“You know, I didn’t notice, I was a little too busy trying not to die at the hands of Theo Raeken.”   
  
“You know he’s not actually going to kill you, right?”   
  
“No, Mason, I do not know that.”   
  
“Yes, you do. Deep down, you do. Now out.”   
  
“You coming in?” Liam asked, getting out of the car.    
  
“Of course.” Mason smiled. “I’ve barely seen you since we were both back for winter break. Just because you’re working doesn’t mean we aren’t going to hang this summer.”   
  
“Okay.” Liam grinned, feeling a little bit better for that. “Thank you.”   
  
“Hey, of course, that's what best friends are for!” Mason clapped him on the shoulder as they headed inside.   
  
The appraisal for the car repairs came in at just under $3300, so working at minimum wage, even with tips coming his way, it was probably going to take Liam working full time for the entire summer to pay off the accident, and that would leave very little left for him, it seemed.    
  
He supposed that would depend on the tips, and while a part of him was very annoyed that he was in this situation, he also knew that it was his own fault, and that he, to a degree, had brought this on himself. He didn’t want to take the blame for that, because it wasn’t in his nature to want to admit his own wrongdoings. He didn’t like the uncomfortable feelings that came with knowing he had fucked up so royally, and that his own misery with the whole Theo Raeken thing was entirely his own fault, but he couldn’t do anything about it.    
  
Liam was no longer a child, and owning up to his mistakes was part of being an adult. He wanted to do better, to _ be _ better, and he wished that this hadn’t happened, but there was no going back and undoing time. This wasn’t a comic book, and he had no super power.    
  
Still, hanging out with Mason, having dinner and playing video games definitely helped to chill things out a lot. In that moment, it felt like being back in high school, and while he was glad that he had moved on from those days, there was still a warmth in the nostalgia of playing games in his bedroom with his best friend. Going to separate schools in separate states had meant that he rarely saw Mason anymore, and it sucked.    
  
A lot.    
  
By the time Mason went home, Liam knew that he should be getting to bed. After all, he had to be at the cafe very, very early the next morning, and there was no way for him to get out of that. 7:30 was the start time, and without his mother driving him, he was going to have to bike, which meant leaving extra early, which meant waking up at 6.    
  
6 in the morning was a time of day that Liam only saw when he was still up from the night before, and he was not looking forward to it, but he would adjust. He had to.    
  
At least Mason would be picking him up, so that when he was tired at the end of the day, he wouldn’t have to spend anymore energy biking home.    
  
Thank god for best friends. Especially best friends with car trunks large enough for bikes.   



	3. Chapter 3

“Well look who made it?” Theo said with a grin as Liam trudged into the cafe, bags under his eyes.    
  
He had tried to go to sleep early, and he had done a decent job, but it had still been after 11 when he had finally passed out, leaving him less than 7 hours to sleep, which for him, was nowhere near enough. He had dressed quickly, and he knew that he didn’t look quite as good as he had the day before, but his hair was brushed, and his clothes were clean and without holes or graphics, so it was good enough. The apron would largely cover them anyways.    
  
“Bright eyed and bushy tailed,” Liam said sarcastically.    
  
“Suuuure,” Theo said with a roll of his eyes, and Liam wanted to hurt him.    
  
Badly.    
  
Yes, he was annoyed by Theo’s teasing, but even more annoying than that was the fact that Theo seemed to be  _ awake.  _ How on earth could any human, especially a human that was the same age as him, be so vibrant and awake at 7:30 in the morning? And to look so put together - not a hair out of place?   
  
That only made Liam want to hurt him more.    
  
“Ah, Liam, you’re here!” Kathy smiled. “That’s my cue to head on out! I hope you boys kick ass today! I have to do some bookkeeping, so I’ll be at home working on that if you need me!”   
  
And before Liam could really put together what she had said, she was out the door, leaving the two of them by themselves with an impending rush of customers, and Liam’s first ever full shift.    
  
He was maybe 2 minutes into it, and he already felt as though he were going to die.    
  
“Here, drink this.”    
  
Before Liam had even really punched in, Theo had put a cup under his nose. It was a ceramic mug, one of their “for here” mugs, and it smelled amazing. Coffee, chocolate, and was that a hint of cinnamon?   
  
“Are you trying to poison me?” Liam said flatly.    
  
“Jesus christ, no, I’m trying to wake you up so that you’re not useless to me all day long. It’s a specialty of mine. Spiced mocha. You’ll love it.”   
  
On principle alone, Liam was determined not to.    
  
He took a sip, and instantly hated everything. It was delicious, and of course it was, because somehow, Theo “smokes pot under the bleachers” Raeken was the world’s best barista? He wouldn’t have pegged Theo for being good at anything that involved customer service, but apparently there were some things about the other man that he didn’t know.    
  
“Well?” Theo asked, looking at Liam with an eyebrow raised.    
  
“It’s fine.” Liam shrugged, not wanting to give Theo the satisfaction of admitting that he had made a stellar drink.    
  
“Uh huh,” Theo said with a wink. “I mean, if you hate it, you can dump it.”   
  
“No, it’s fine, I need the caffeine, I’ll drink anything that will help me wake up.”    
  
But the way that he gripped tighter to the mug when Theo reached for it told them both that Liam was full of shit, and god, he just wished that Theo would stop catching him on all of his bullshit.    
  
Sure, that might be easier if he would just stop bullshitting, but it was difficult. He didn’t want to give Theo any more of the upper hand than he already had, though at this point, it seemed more or less inevitable, and he hated that.    
  
“So, you ready to get started?” Theo said, with that too-bright smile that made Liam want to crawl under the counter and electrocute himself until he was as awake as Theo was.    
  
“Yeah,” Liam nodded, knowing that it was the only correct answer.    
  
“Great. You work the register just like yesterday, and once we hit our lull around 10:30, 11:00, I’ll start showing you how to use the steamer and espresso machine. Most of our drinks are variations on steamed milk and espresso, so once you master those two things, the rest isn’t too difficult.”   
  
“Great.” Liam nodded.    
  
He was pretty sure that Theo was lying. He was going to make this all seem so incredibly easy that, when Liam struggled, he looked stupid. Liam did not appreciate that, but he was ready for it. Theo had certainly gone out of his way yesterday to make Liam look bad, and the other man was sure that he would do it again, he just had to brace himself for it, and do his best not to let Theo get to him.    
  
That was difficult, though, when Liam was exhausted, and lacking the skills to crush the job, and Theo?   
  
Theo was perfect at it.    
  
As Liam worked the register, yawning periodically, and taking sips of the latte that Theo had made him in between customers, Theo schmoozed. There were a lot of regulars, and he seemed to know their orders so well that he often got started on them before they had even made their way to the counter to place the order, meaning that, once again, he was often finished with their drinks before Liam was done ringing them up.    
  
He would get faster on the register - he knew that, but right now, he resented Theo for how well he knew this job.    
  
Theo also knew the customers, more than just their drinks. He would greet many of them by name, and occasionally ask after pets, friends, or family members. It was a very different side of Theo than Liam had ever experienced, and as a result, Liam had decided that was fake. 100% fake, because no one was this charming all the fucking time.    
  
Everyone else in Beacon Hills was welcome to fall for it, but Liam? He refused to be one of them.   
  
Liam did his best to greet customers with the same energy as Theo, but even with one cup of coffee under his belt, he couldn’t quite muster it. He was trying to juggle all of the new information in his head from yesterday, because it was important to him to do the job right, and it wasn’t easy to be super charming while learning something new.    
  
If anything, he was pretty sure that he was not cut out for a job in customer service, but what was he supposed to do? He was here now, and he was doing the best that he could, but he would have a long way before he got as good as Theo, and hell, that might not happen.    
  
He told himself that Theo had been doing this for years, that it had taken him ages to get this good, but the competitive side of Liam couldn’t quite put to bed the way that he was feeling inside. He wanted to be better than Theo, he wanted to be the champion barista, but he was pretty sure that he didn’t stand a chance.    
  
Still, he wasn’t one to give up.    
  
“Okay, I’m ready,” Liam said. There hadn’t been a customer for a few minutes, and he had wiped down a few tables per Theo’s instructions. “I’m ready to learn how to make a drink.”   
  
“Okay.” Theo nodded. “I’m gonna start you off easy, okay? Steamed milk.” Theo went to the machine and got it set, talking Liam through it step by step.    
  
Liam had expected Theo to rush, and then tell him to go, just to embarrass him, but he was surprised to find that Theo took his time explaining things to Liam. He went slowly, and showed him all of the pieces and mechanics, he let Liam ask questions, and when he was finished going through it once, Liam actually felt pretty confident in his ability to steam milk.    
  
It was just because there weren’t any spectators, he was sure. If there was anyone around to watch Liam fail, he was sure that Theo would have pushed him into making a fool of himself.    
  
“Alright, you try,” Theo said.    
  
He stepped back, allowing Liam to take his place, and he took a deep breath. It wasn’t that hard, or at least Theo had made it look very, very easy, and he hoped that it would be. He definitely didn’t want to lose out on the chance to do something right just because he was thrown off by how not asshole-y Theo had been.    
  
He went slower than Theo normally did, he knew that, but he was pretty sure that he got all of the steps correct, and when he handed it over to Theo for inspection, he was actually pretty sure that it wasn’t terrible.    
  
“Not bad,” Theo said, taking a sip. “Not bad at all, but that was just step one, okay? Pay attention. It’s espresso time.”   
  
Oh god. Liam had managed to master one thing, and now he was expected to fall right back into another? He was pretty sure that his brain was going to overload and short circuit and then? And then Theo would make endless fun of him, and maybe that was his endgame all along.    
  
Or maybe Liam needed to stop worrying about what Theo’s endgame was, and just make the fucking coffee.    
  
It wasn’t that easy, though, because there was a deeply rooted distrust inside of Liam that was definitely aimed at Theo. There was a lot that they didn’t really have worked out, and trying to work together was not making any of it easier. Sure, he was doing his best to try and clear his head from everything that he was worried about, but it wasn’t so much working as it was failing miserably.    
  
“Hey, Liam!” Theo practically snapped.    
  
“Huh?” He jerked out of his thoughts, and god, he really needed another cup of coffee, but he wasn’t skilled enough to make a latte yet, and he didn’t exactly feel like he could ask Theo for another one. He supposed drip would do, but right now, Theo looked sort of mad.    
  
“Customer, dude, look alive.”   
  
“Oh god.” Liam turned around, plastering a fake smile on his face as he welcomed the customer.   
  
Theo didn’t seem to know the guy, as he wasn’t greeting him the way that he did the regulars, but even with Liam being totally off his game from being distracted, Theo was being his usual, “charming to the customers” self.    
  
Where was that guy in high school? He probably would have been a lot more popular. 

“You really can’t be dropping the ball like that,” Theo said once the customer had his drink and was happily seated at a corner table.    
  
“Look, I’m new,” Liam snapped. “It was an early morning, and it’s a lot to remember, okay? I’m doing my best here!”    
  
“Really?” Theo asked. “Are you? Cause it really sort of seems like you’re not even trying.”   
  
“I am!” Liam was exasperated, because yeah, he had just now checked out a good bit, but he  _ was _ trying, he really, really was, and the fact that Theo couldn’t see that, or perhaps that he was choosing not to, really got under Liam’s skin, and he didn’t like it.    
  
He didn’t like that Theo had that ability at all, and Liam knew that he was letting it happen, that he was letting Theo get to him, but what the hell was he supposed to do? It wasn’t that easy to just...turn it on and off. He didn’t think that he had it in him.    


“Okay, Jesus, whatever, you don’t have to shout about it.” Theo rolled his eyes, and Liam felt even more exasperated than he had before. Why was this guy such a fucking menace, and how the hell was he supposed to spend the whole summer being bossed around by the douchiest man on the planet?    
  
Maybe it would be worth it to try and find another job, but then he would have to explain to Kathy why, and then to his mom, and they would probably think it childish - him letting a high school rivalry get in the way of his first job. It wouldn’t be a good look for his resume, that was for sure, and he had to start thinking about these things. He wasn’t a child anymore, and it was time to get over this shit.    
  
“Anyways, espresso…” Theo launched into, once again, a very careful and clear demonstration of how the espresso machine worked, and watched carefully as Liam tried it. He then walked him through a few of their simpler drinks, pausing when they had customers.    
  
Honestly, between the taking orders, Liam’s lunch break, and the learning how to do everything, the last few hours passed by fairly quickly...though Theo’s lunch break was a bit terrifying.   
  
Theo had left him with a clear cheat sheet before he had taken off, and assurance that he would just be in the back in case Liam was going to somehow ruin everything, but Liam was determined not to cave and ask Theo for help, and fortunately, the 30 minutes that Theo was off the clock were pretty slow. He had to make a couple of drinks, but they went well enough, and he felt a little bit of pride when Theo came back without Liam having to come beg him for assistance.    
  


***   
  
“What the-”   
  
“It was finger painting day, don’t ask.”    
  
Just as he had the day before, Corey rushed in just around 3:30, with smears of paint on his shirt, and a couple on his cheek.    
  
“Well, okay then,” Theo said. “Get cleaned up, you look like you got attacked by 800 paintballers.”   
  
“That’s the plan.” Corey nodded, heading to the back, and Liam looked at Theo, one eyebrow raised.    
  
“Corey’s morning job. He works at a day camp at the community center. Apparently, it was finger painting day.” There was an amused smile on Theo’s face, and it was clear that all of his razzing of Corey was playful.    
  
If Theo was so capable of being playful with Corey, and charming and kind with all of the guests, why was he still such a dick to Liam?    
  
It boiled Liam’s blood a little, but he didn’t know what to do about it, and talking about it, he was sure, would only be stressful, so he kept his mouth shut.    
  
But Corey got cleaned up, Tracy arrived, the shifts turned over, and the world didn’t end.    
  
Mason was running a couple of minutes late (and Liam suspected that may be on purpose so as to definitely catch Corey), but Liam didn’t mind. He sat down at a table and checked his phone while he waited. There were pictures on Instagram of his old friends at the beach, but some of them were posting about jobs, and he realized he had been very naive to think that he was the only one saddled with a summer job.    
  
Not everyone had it as good as he did, and for most people, this was normal.    
  
For him, this  _ should  _ be normal.    
  
“Your chariot has arrived,” Mason said with a smile as he walked up to the table. He then turned his attention to the counter. “Hey.” He nodded at Corey.    
  
“Hey.” Corey nodded back, and Liam definitely did not miss the smile that Corey shot Mason.    
  
Liam felt conflicted as he left  **Banshee** with Mason in tow, because, well, he wanted his best friend to be happy, but at the same time, couldn’t Mason find literally anyone else to be happy with? Liam was suspicious of anyone who was friends with Theo.    
  
Then again, he supposed he didn’t know if they were actually friends, or whether they were just civil with each other in an amiable way.    
  
Time, he supposed, would tell.    



	4. Chapter 4

The rest of Liam’s training week went by pretty smoothly...if you could count constant jabs from Theo as smooth. Liam threw them back as best he could, but he felt utterly outmatched by someone for the first time in his life. This wasn’t his playing field, he didn’t have home court advantage, or even steady footing, and he was worried that it showed. Theo was finding his weaknesses and picking them out, when Liam had done his level best not to show any of them before.    
  
The weekends at Banshee were staffed by different people, and Liam could not have been more grateful for a Saturday morning without his alarm blaring at him at an ungodly hour.    
  
Still, his body was starting to adjust, and he was up fairly early, and unable to go back to sleep, despite lying in bed for hours. His body was sore - his wrist was still healing, and he was pretty sure that there was nothing to be done about that, it was just going to take time to heal.    
  
He was going to hang out with Mason today, they had already decided that, but he didn’t really have any idea of when Mason would be waking up, so he just lay there, staring at his ceiling, trying to process everything he knew.    
  
As his mind wandered, he started going over the mechanics of the espresso machine, and he smiled to himself slightly as he realized that he actually had a pretty solid command of it, something that he had been pretty sure didn’t actually exist. He was just...doing the best that he could to listen to Theo, and not get sidetracked by how fucking annoyed he was, and, well, it had landed him here?   
  
He was alright with that.    
  
***   
  
**_Yo, let’s meet at Banshee!_ ** Mason texted.    
  
**Are you fucking kidding me? I work there.**   
  
**_Exactly. Employee discount, baby. And it’s not like Theo’s gonna be there. It’s the weekend._ **   
  
**Ughhh.**   
  
**_Corey’s picking up an extra shift._ **   
  
**Double ugh! You’re gonna ignore me and flirt!**   
**_  
_ ** **_I’ll pay, and we can decide what to do with the rest of our day while we’re there!_ **   
  
**...Fine** **_._ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** **_Pick you up in 20!_ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** Liam got up and threw on a t-shirt and some denim shorts. California in the summer was no fucking joke, and he wasn’t about to go into his place of work sweating like some demon spawn from hell. That wasn’t really his M.O, and he didn’t want it to become such.    
  
“How did you even find out that Corey was working today?” Liam asked, sliding easily into the passenger’s seat of Mason’s car.    
  
“Oh, you know, we were chatting a little while you were getting your stuff from the back yesterday.” Mason shrugged.    
  
“How. How do you do that? He’s already in the palm of your hand?”   
  
“He so is not,” Mason said. “But he’s cute, and I’m nice to him, and I asked him what he was doing this weekend, and he said that he was working, so I figured we could come and get our coffee on, and I can smile at him a little, and then we can be on our way.”   
  
“Smile at him a little?” Liam frowned. “You sound like a total idiot. How. How on earth does this actually wind up working for you?”   
  
“We don’t know that it will,” Mason said. “Not yet.”   
  
“You seem pretty confident.”   
  
“Well, you know, I’m projecting the outcome that I want to experience, and hoping for the best. I don’t know, I suddenly have a lot of freetime. I worked my ass off in all of my classes this year, and now not having any actually feels kind of weird. I’ve been doing a lot of reading in my spare time.”   
  
“You are actually the biggest nerd I have ever met.”   
  
“What?” Mason said. “Stuff is cool!”   
  
“Stuff. Is. Cool.” Liam repeated the words, wondering how his genius of a best friend could somehow sound so fucking stupid sometimes.    
  
“I mean, like learning stuff, you know? Like for example - you’re gonna like this one I think, today I was reading about the Kon Tiki expedition, have you heard of that?”   
  
“I have a feeling I’m about to…” Not that he really minded. When Mason ranted about Science and Math, Liam got lost, but history stuff? That was his jam, and he knew that his best friend knew that.   
  
“Yup.” Mason grinned. “Basically, this guy Thor Heyerdahl was super convinced that Polynesians got to Polynesia by sailing from South America across the ocean on rafts made of balsa wood, and you know, understandably, everyone thought he was absolutely fucking crazy, so he was like “fuck you, I’m gonna do it and prove it!” And then he just...did?” Mason smiled. “So for awhile, everyone was like “Oh, it is possible, so that must be what happened, right?””   
  
“Yeah.” Liam smiled, because okay, this was actually pretty interesting to his history major brain. He hadn’t heard about this one.    
  
“Okay, so basically everyone just accepted that his theory was correct because he had proved that it was possible, and then like years later, it was totally disproved - I mean, not that it wasn’t possible, but that just wasn’t how they had gotten there,” Mason explained. “But still, this dude just got in a balsa wood raft with 5 other guys and sailed across an ocean. How insane is that?”   
  


Liam couldn’t help but smile at his best friend.    
  
“That’s actually pretty insane. Did you read it online or do you have a book?”   
  
“You’re totally interested!” Mason said with a grin. “We can go to the book store. Thor Heyerdahl wrote a book about it. We can pick it up.”   
  
“Okay.”    
  
And this? This felt good. Being in the car with Mason, nerding out about things that they both found interesting. Liam wasn’t sure how he had ever gotten so lucky, having a best friend like this, but he was so incredibly relieved to have Mason home with him this summer. Everything was going to change after this - and not just because he had wrecked his mom’s car and had to get a job.    
  
The real world was two semesters away, and Liam didn’t want to admit that he was terrified. He didn’t want to admit that he was afraid that he wouldn’t get into the History graduate teaching program that he wanted, and that he would have to figure out a new path for himself.    
  
When he was younger, he had never imagined he might be a history teacher, but now he couldn’t really imagine anything else.

The coffee shop wasn’t really that far, so they arrived in no time, and soon, they were walking through the door.    
  
True to what Mason said, Corey was behind the counter. He noticed them quickly, and the smile that spread across his cheeks was definitely not intended for Liam.   
  
However, when he looked over at his best friend, Mason was smiling just as widely, and honestly, he was just...thrilled to be in the presence of Corey. It was cute, and it sort of made Liam want to barf, but just a little.    
  
After all, he did truly want Mason to be happy, and if Corey was what, or rather who, made him happy, then he was perfectly fine with that.    
  
Or at least he would work on getting there. With the whole being friends with Theo thing, Corey wasn’t his first choice, but he liked the way that Mason smiled when Corey did, so there was something there.   
  
“Hi, welcome to  **Banshee Coffee & Tea** , what can I get you today?” Corey asked as they approached the counter.   
  
“Hi,” Mason said, stepping forwards.    
  
“Hi,” Corey replied, flushing slightly.    
  
“You already said that,” Liam added, moving next to Mason, and effectively killing the moment.   
  
“Oh,” Corey blushed deeper, and Mason kicked Liam, but just a little bit. “Sorry.”   
  
“Can I please get one of those spiced mocha things?” Liam asked.    
  
“Ah, the Raeken special.” Corey grinned.    
  
“What?” Liam frowned, shaking his head. “What? No.”   
  
“Um, yeah.” Corey laughed. “That’s Theo’s go-to drink, they’re not on the menu, you should know that! I can’t make you one, don’t know what’s in it.”   
  
Well fuck. Apparently, if Liam ever wanted one of those delicious drinks again, he was going to have to ask Theo for it, and that was never going to happen, so he would definitely never be having one again, apparently.    
  
“Oh, just a normal mocha, then,” Liam said. He felt a little stupid, and a little surly that he couldn’t really get his mind off of a latte that his sworn enemy, and his sworn enemy alone, could make.    
  
“Okay.” Corey nodded, punching it into the register. “And what can I get you?”   
  
“What are you best at?” Mason asked.    
  
“Dirty, sassy chai,” Corey said with a grin.    
  
“Is that as good as it sounds?”   
  
“Maybe.” Corey smiled. “It’s our spicy house-made chai, with a shot of espresso, and two pumps of chocolate. A little bit dirty, a little bit spicy, and a little bit sweet - sassy.” He winked.    
  
“Oh, I will definitely have that,” Mason said with a grin.    
  
“For here or to go?” Corey asked.    
  
“Here,” Mason said, almost before Corey had the chance to get the words out.   
  
“Alright.” He nodded, putting in Mason’s order. He gave them the total, taking out Liam’s employee discount.    
  
“Thank you.” Mason handed over his card, and that silly smile remained in place on his face the whole time. He watched as Corey went about making the drinks quickly, and Liam did his level best not to roll his eyes at his best friend’s behavior.    
  
He hadn’t seen Mason like this over a guy in a long time, and the last time he had, it had been Brett Talbot, and frankly, Liam wasn’t sure which one he liked the idea of less. Liam had had his own issues with Brett, and god, maybe Mason was just absolutely drawn to guys that had weird relationships with his best friend. Liam would have preferred that not be the case, but he loved Mason dearly, and he wouldn’t do a thing to get in the way of his happiness.    
  
“Wow,” Mason said as they headed back to a table against one of the long glass windows. “This is really, really fucking good.”   
  
“You are like, level 15 twitterpated,” Liam observed, setting his own drink down to let it cool before he went in on it.    
  
“And you’re surly because Corey couldn’t make you a Raeken Special,” Mason teased.   
  
“Am not.”   
  
“Sure. Whatever you say.” Mason rolled his eyes, knowing when to, and when not to, engage with his best friend.    
  
“So,” Liam raised an eyebrow. “Other than moon over Corey Bryant, what do you want to do today?”   
  
“Well,” Mason shrugged. “We could go to the lake, we could go to the movies, we could go get some frustrations out at the gym…”   
  
“Frustrations?”   
  
“Yeah, dude. You are really not yourself right now,” Mason said. “I’m guessing that it is a combination of the accident, your whole...Theo situation, and the fact that your summer got ruined, but you’re Liam Dunbar, you’re not supposed to be this surly mess all the time, you know? This is our last summer together before we have to fully be adults, and I’m not gonna let you sulk around about it, okay?”   
  
“I…” Liam bit his lip. “Okay.”   
  
“Okay…?”   
  
“Okay, we can go to the gym, and then maybe get lunch? Find a party for tonight?”    
  
“Now that’s more like it!” Mason grinned, taking another sip of his drink. “God, this really is fantastic, and it never would have occurred to me.”   
  
“Yeah, I don’t think that I’ve ever seen you order chai in your life,” Liam admitted.    
  
“Yeah, well, a cute boy has never offered me a sassy, dirty chai before, what was I supposed to do, say no to that?”   
  
Liam couldn’t help but snort with laughter. “No, no I suppose you couldn’t. It would have been very, very rude indeed.”   
  
“See? You get it.” Mason sighed. “And if we do find a party, will you be mad if I invite Corey?”   
  
“Nah,” Liam shook his head. “He seems nice, I guess, and you got this big goofy grin on your face the second we walked in, so if he’s who you want to spend your summer cozying up to, who am I to say no?”   
  
“You’re a good friend,” Mason said with a smile. “Even when you’re being kind of a major jackass.”   
  
“Yeah?” Liam tipped his head to the side, eyeing his best friend.    
  
“Yeah.” Mason nodded. “You’ve got my back, I’ve got yours, we’re alright as a pair.”   
  
“We do make a pretty solid team,” he admitted with a smile.    
  
“And if you wanted to be an even better friend…”   
  
“I’m gonna kill you,” Liam said.    
  
“I didn’t even finish what I was going to say!” Mason laughed.    
  
“You were gonna ask me to get lost for a few minutes so you can go talk to Corey for a hot sec.”   
  
“It will be a very, very hot sec,” Mason said, nodding sagely.    
  
“I hate you,” Liam rolled his eyes, getting up. “I guess I’ll go to the bathroom.”   
  
“You love me,” Mason argued. “Or you wouldn’t be doing this.”   
  
Liam didn’t say anything, he just snorted, and turned to go to the bathroom, giving his friend a little time to deal with his crush.    
  
In the bathroom, Liam stared into the mirror, checking himself over. He still had a few cuts on his face from the accident, but mostly he looked like himself, so why did he feel so off? He wasn’t a giant baby, he wasn’t throwing a tantrum about having to get a job anymore, but he didn’t feel right, he didn’t feel good, and he wasn’t sure where all of that was coming from.    
  
He just felt off.   
  
He reached down, turning on the cold water and splashing some of it in his face, hoping to pull himself out of what he was dealing with internally, at least for now. He was just hoping that these bad feelings would simply go away, but it had been a week since the accident, and there was something aching in his chest, something that just didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.    
  
It had been years since he had been to therapy, years since he had seen doctors for his I.E.D, and he didn’t want to admit to his mother that things weren’t feeling good again. She seemed so glad that everything had been in control, that he had gone off to college feeling good, and with a plan for his future. He didn’t want to be the disappointment in her life that his father had turned out to be, and it made him nervous, knowing that he still had that inside of him.    
  
Or at least the potential for it.    
  
He checked his phone, wanting to make sure that he gave Mason a couple of minutes to talk to Corey, but not so long that it seemed staged, and figured he was good enough to go back out now.    
  
When he exited the bathroom and looked towards the counter, sure enough, Mason was leaning against it, his body angled towards Corey’s, even with the barrier dividing them, clearly flirting, and from the way Corey was leaning in close? He was flirting back.    
  
Liam didn’t like the twang of envy that he felt. He didn’t want to lose his last summer with Mason to some brown-eyed fling, but he also knew that he couldn’t take away something that Mason wanted, that’s not what friends did - and besides, Mason was better at time management than he was, than anyone else Liam had ever  _ met  _ was. Mason would be able to handle hanging out with Liam, and dating Corey, he was pretty sure.    
  
He just hoped that Theo wasn’t a part of that package, and he wasn’t totally looking forward to third wheeling it, either. Then again, he supposed it was his turn. Every time that Mason had had a boyfriend, it had been during college, when he was away. There had been flirtations in high school, but Liam had never actually had to share his best friend with anyone. Mason had. When Liam had been head over heels in love with Hayden, Mason had taken it all in stride, and Liam owed him at least that much. Honestly, he probably owed him a hell of a lot more.    
  
“Hey,” Liam approached the counter. “You ready?”   
  
“Yeah.” Mason nodded. “Corey was just telling me about a party this weekend at Gwen and Phoebe’s parent’s place.”   
  
“Gwen from the Lacrosse team?” Liam asked. He remembered her, she had been one of Hayden’s friends, and one of his teammates.    
  
“Yeah.” He nodded.    
  
“I hope you guys can make it,” Corey said. It was clear from his tone that he was trying to sound casual, but there was some definite hope evident in it.    
  
Liam got the distinct feeling that if they went to that party together, he would be on his own pretty quickly.    
  
“I think we can at least stop by,” Liam said with a shrug.    
  
“Great, I’ll see you tonight.” Corey shot Mason a smile, and Mason returned it.    
  
“See you tonight.” Mason turned to Liam. “Let’s boogie.”   
  
“Let’s boogie?” Liam asked, raising an eyebrow at Mason as they left the shop. “ _ Let’s boogie _ ? Seriously?”   
  
“I’m sorry! I panicked!” Mason admitted, fumbling for his keys. “He was smiling at me with those big eyes and I totally panicked and forgot, like, every word in the English language.”   
  
“Is this what you’re like when you flirt at school?” Liam asked. “How did you ever get a boyfriend?   
  
“I’m cute, and I’m smart, and once I get past the whole losing words thing, I’m actually pretty damn charming.”   
  
“And so humble, too,” Liam sneered as he climbed into the passenger’s seat.    
  
“Oh, always humble,” Mason said with a laugh.    
  
“So, gym?” Liam said, changing the topic.    
  
“Gym.” Mason nodded. “And then the mall, because I need a new shirt.”   
  
“Why?” Liam asked, not the biggest fan of shopping. “It’s not like Corey really knows you, he hasn’t seen everything in your wardrobe or anything like that.”   
  
“I know,” Mason shrugged. “But it will give me confidence. It’s all about the confidence.”   
  
“Fine. Gym, then mall, and then food that you will be buying if you make me go shopping with you.”   
  
“You know what?” Mason nodded. “I think I can live with that.”   
  



	5. Chapter 5

By the time they arrived at the party, it was in full swing.    
  
Liam wasn’t surprised, because Mason had insisted they wait to arrive until at least 10:30, because he didn’t want to look overeager by showing up early, and Liam couldn’t really argue against that particular logic. Besides, it gave him more time to figure out what he was going to do once Mason inevitably found Corey and disappeared.    
  
“Holy shit,” Mason said, looking around. “I guess everyone still knows how to party.”   
  
“Arguably, college has made all of us better at it,” Liam said.    
  
“Fair enough.” Mason reached up, smoothing down his brand new button up shirt, and turned to his best friend. “How do I look?”   
  
“Honestly?” Liam asked. “Frustratingly put together.”   
  
“I’ll take it.” Mason smiled, and turned, his eyes scanning the room for Corey. “Do you think it’s desperate if I go right up to him? Should I get a drink first?”   
  
“Definitely get a drink first,” Liam nodded. “At least you want to have that when you go for him, you know, so he doesn’t either have to go with you to get one, or you have to walk away from him to get one, that would be awkward.”   
  
“Good point. Drinks first.”    
  
Mason started making his way towards the table of drinks, and Liam went for a red cup, filling it with beer from the keg while Mason made himself a gin & tonic. Liam wondered to himself how he managed to have such a classy best friend, but ended up just smiling and shrugging it off. He was definitely glad that he had Mason...even if Mason was 2000% about to walk away from him and spend the rest of the night flirting with a guy that hadn’t even been on their radar in high school.    
  
Then again, he supposed some people grew up better than others, and Liam? He was starting to worry that maybe he had peaked in high school, when he had been skilled, strong, and popular. It had used to be that he would walk into a party like this, and people would be on him, but now he was just another face in the crowd, and he wasn’t sure how to reconcile that. Things were changing, perhaps more rapidly than he was ready for.    
  
“I’m gonna go talk to him,” Mason said. “You okay?”   
  
“Yeah, I’m good,” Liam took a sip of his beer. “Just let me know if I need to find another ride home.”   
  
“Will do.” Mason reached out, giving Liam’s shoulder a squeeze, and then he was off, and Liam was alone.    
  
He tipped the cup back, downing the rest of his first beer in one go before filling it up again and deciding to do a lap. After all, this was a party being thrown by people that he had gone to high school with, he must have some friends here somewhere, even if he hadn’t been great about keeping in touch with people from high school.    
  
As he walked, he passed a lot of familiar faces, but the one that shocked him the most was Theo. In the living room, where there was loud music playing, and general boisterousness going on, Theo was leaning up against the wall, a red cup in his hand, and a casual smile on his face as he seemed to enjoy the chaos around him without engaging in any of it.    
  
Liam wasn’t sure what to make of that, but fortunately, he didn’t have much time to think of it before someone was slinging their arm over his shoulders.    
  
“Liiiiiiiiam Dunbar!”    
  
“Tracy Stewart,” he said with a smile, turning to the very drunk young woman.    
  
“It’s crazy that you’re working at  **Banshtea** !” She grinned. “Come on, we’re doing a shot. A new co-workers shot!”   
  
Liam couldn’t help but smile. He had never been friends with Tracy before, she had been...a little quiet, and then a little bit in with the out crowd, like Theo, but now? She seemed to be welcoming him with open arms.    
  
“Shot sounds good.” Liam couldn’t deny that a little quick fire liquor wasn’t going to exactly hurt his partying mood.    
  
“Fantastic.” She grinned and reached out, taking his hand. With her free hand, she waved. “HEY! THEO!” She shouted loudly across the party. “BANSHTEA SHOTS!”   
  
Theo looked up from where he had been observing the party, and raised an eyebrow. Tracy gave him a look that clearly said “this isn’t a choice,” and he kicked off from the wall with one foot, walking over to them.    
  
“Shots, huh?” Theo asked, cocking his head to the side.    
  
“Yes.” Tracy grinned. “Where’s Corey? He needs one, too.”   
  
“He’s flirting,” Theo said. “With Dunbar’s bro.”   
  
The way that Theo said bro made Liam’s blood boil. He was clearly using it as an insult, and not in a kind way, and sure, it was one thing for Theo to make fun of him, but to take a jab at Mason? That wasn’t fair at all.    
  
He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it quickly. He didn’t want to be the guy that made a scene at the first real house party of the summer. That would be the best way to blacklist himself from future parties, and possibly Mason along with him. That wouldn’t be good at all.    
  
“Let him flirt,” Tracy said with a grin. “Corey’s so cute and so sweet, he deserves a cutie.”   
  
“How many have you had, Trace?” Theo said, that same amused smile grazing his lips.    
  
“Mmmm, I’m in that place where I’ve had too many, but also not enough? I’ll be fine.”   
  
“I know you will be,” Theo replied. “Just curious.”   
  
“So you know how much fun to make of me?”   
  
“Bingo.” Theo laughed, and headed over to the drinks table.    
  
He reached into the center, grabbing three plastic shot glasses, and a bottle of Cuervo.    
  
Well, no one shelled out for the top shelf stuff at parties like this, so Liam wasn’t too surprised, and with some salt and a lime, it hardly made a difference, he supposed.    
  
Theo poured the shots, and Tracey grabbed the limes.    
  
“Oh,” she pouted. “No salt.”   
  
“I’ll go find some,” Theo said, turning instantly and heading towards the kitchen.    
  
“You know,” Tracey said, turning to look at Liam. “I never noticed how blue your eyes are.”   
  
“Thank...you?” he said, not really sure how to respond to that.    
  
“Just an observation.” She shrugged. “I’m not flirting. Sometimes when I’m drunk it seems like I am, but I’m not.”   
  
“Good to know,” Liam said, unable to help but smile a little on his own.    
  
“It sucks, that every time a girl is being friendly, guys think she’s flirting.”   
  
“I didn’t think you were flirting,” Liam said, his tone almost defensive.    
  
“Oh, no, I didn’t say you did,” she said. “You were checking out Theo when I walked up to you.”   
  
“Oh my god.” Liam couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I was not checking him out.”   
  
“You were staring directly at him,” she pointed out.    
  
“I was surprised that he was here,” Liam said defensively. “He never came to parties like this high school.”   
  
“Oh,” Tracy shrugged. “Well why would he have? Everyone was a dick to him.”   
  
“Ha.” Liam laughed.    
  
“What? What’s funny about that?” Tracy asked.    
  
“I just remember it differently, that’s all.” Liam shrugged.    
  
Tracy opened her mouth to say something, but Theo showed back up waving a salt shaker, and she turned to him, grinning.    
  
“You are the hero of the day!” She grinned.    
  
“That’s a little excessive, it’s just salt,” Liam said.    
  
“Someone’s jealous,” Tracy reached out, ruffling Liam’s hair. “Now, come on. Salt. Shot. Lime. Banshtea crew!”   
  
It was funny, how easily distracted she seemed right now, but Liam supposed that after a drink or two more, he was probably going to be feeling the same way, and he was definitely looking forward to a shot. He licked his hand and sprinkled some salt on it, waiting for the cue from the others before he licked it, downing his shot quickly in one go before squeezing the lime with his teeth.    
  
He wrinkled his nose as he set his plastic cup down.    
  
Theo looked completely unphased by the shot, and when Tracy turned to him and grabbed his hand, he seemed equally nonplussed.    
  
“We’re dancing. Come on!”   
  
She dragged Theo to the center of the living room, and Liam watched as she put his hands on her hips. She was definitely the one in the lead, the one in control, but Theo didn’t seem to be objecting, and Liam was pretty sure that the other man’s smile was genuine as the two of them danced.    
  
Were they together? Liam couldn’t help but wonder, but he wasn’t sure who to ask. Maybe Mason later, because he supposed if Corey hung around this group, maybe he would know. Then again, why did Liam care? This wasn’t any business of his. They were both just his coworkers, and sure, they had done a shot together, but that didn’t make them friends. He hadn’t been invited into their flirty little dance, and honestly, he was glad for that.    
  
This party didn’t feel like how the others had used to, and Liam didn’t know what to do with himself. He poured himself another beer, and decided to lean into it - get a little drunk, then hit the dance floor. There were plenty of girls here, and he was sure one of them would give him the time of day, at least for a little while. After all, he was no slouch, and high school hadn’t been  _ that _ long ago.   
  
As he worked on his next beer, he looked around, spotting Mason and Corey pretty quickly. They were standing on the staircase, which seemed like an awkward place to be, but who was Liam to judge? Corey had his back up against the wall, a drink in one hand, and Mason stood in front of him, one palm on the wall right by Corey’s shoulder as he leaned in to talk to him, his other hand occupied by the drink he had made earlier.    
  
Mason leaned in, whispering something into Corey’s ear that made him laugh, and Liam got a warm feeling in his chest watching the two of them. Sure, he didn’t really know Corey, but Mason looked comfortable with him, despite the nerves that he had had earlier, and when Corey reached out, putting his free hand on Mason’s arm, Liam knew that his best friend was in.    
  
“Cute, huh.”    
  
Liam turned, surprised as a voice spoke next to him.    
  
“Theo,” Liam said curtly. “Are you gonna be a dick about this?”   
  
“No,” Theo shook his head. “Just saying they’re cute is all. Or, sorry, is that a crime now?”   
  
Liam rolled his eyes so hard he was surprised they didn’t get stuck.    
  
“You don’t have to be a snarky jackass about everything, you know.” Liam punctuated his statement by taking a long pull of his beer, wishing that Theo would just leave him alone. Didn’t they see enough of each other at work?   
  
“I’m literally being nice,” Theo said. “You have the most negative view of everything.”   
  
“Oh, forgive me,” Liam retorted. “I hadn’t seen “nice” on you before, I didn’t know what it looked like.”   
  
“Wow, that’s a very pot/kettle statement for you to make,” Theo said dryly.    
  
“I’m nice,” Liam retorted. “Just not to you.”   
  
“Oh, you don’t say!” Theo said sarcastically.    
  
“You’re not my boss here,” Liam replied. “Shoo.”   
  
“Shoo?” Theo raised an eyebrow. “Really?”   
  
“Okay, fuck off,” Liam tried again.    
  
“Good to know you’re still you.”   
  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Liam frowned.    
  
“Have a good night, Liam,” Theo said, shaking his head as he turned to disappear back into the crowd.    
  
“Wait!” Liam called after him. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”   
  
“You told me to fuck off!” Theo called back. “I’m just obeying.” He shot Liam a wink, and in moments, he was lost in the throng of people.    
  
Liam sighed and turned back to his drink, taking another long sip of it. “Once a jackass, always a jackass,” he muttered to himself.    
  
He didn’t feel at home here, though. Parties like this? They worked for him at school, and they had used to work for him here, but something about the way that things were now didn’t feel quite right, and he didn’t know what had changed. Was it him? Was it everyone else? Was it both?    
  
_ Good to know you’re still you. _   
  
The words played over and over in Liam’s mind, and he didn’t understand it. What was Theo trying to say? Did he actually have a point at all, or was he just trying to get Liam’s goat? Honestly, Liam wouldn’t have been surprised if it were the latter, Theo was just sort of like that. It was funny that Tracy seemed to think that Theo had been the victim, because Liam distinctly remembered Theo being a giant asshole at school, but he supposed if they were dating, then she would definitely stand up for her boyfriend...and he had to admit that they fit. They were both sort of on the outside of the popular crowd, but hot enough to be invited to their parties, and they looked good together, Liam couldn’t deny that.    
  
Even though it physically pained him to admit that Theo was good looking, he couldn’t argue it, not really. It was just an objective fact, that was all.    
  
“Yo.”    
  
Liam started as Mason appeared at his side, basically out of nowhere, and slung an arm around Liam. Liam turned to look at him, noticing that his other hand was holding Corey’s.    
  
“Hey,” Liam said with a laugh.    
  
“So, I’m gonna take Corey to the docks,” Mason said, squeezing Corey’s hand. “Do you wanna come?”   
  
“Oh,” Liam shook his head. He knew what Mason was doing, that he was inviting him because he didn’t want to be rude, but it was clear that this was supposed to be him and Corey alone. “I’m good here. Are you good to drive?”   
  
“Yup.” Mason nodded. “I only had the one drink.”   
  
“Good, good.” Liam nodded, glad that his best friend was being safe. After all, he didn’t want to see anything bad happen to Mason, especially not something like his own accident...or worse.   
  
“Are you good to get home if I leave, though?” Mason asked. His face was lit up with concern and care. It was clear that he wanted to make sure that his best friend got home safely.    
  
There was a warmth that filled Liam’s chest with that knowledge, and he was glad that Mason cared enough to make sure. Corey was shiny and new in Mason’s life, and it would be so easy for people to be distracted by such things, and no longer have a care about their friend, but not Mason. Mason was always thinking about other people, and Liam knew that he had hit the best friend jackpot.    
  
Then again, he had known that for a long, long time.    
  
“Yeah, I’m fine, it’s Beacon Hills, it’s not that big, worst case scenario, I’ll walk or call an Uber.”   
  
“Okay.” Mason smiled, and reached out, squeezing Liam’s shoulder. “You be safe.”   
  
“You too.” Liam smiled.    
  
He watched as Corey took Mason’s hand, and Mason led him away.    
  
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Liam called after them, a smile on his face.    
  
“That’s a low bar!” Mason called back.    
  
Liam shook his head, but he was still smiling as he went back to his cup, taking another sip of beer. Mason deserved this, and so much more. Walking home was a small price to pay for that, though being alone at this party may be the worst of it. At least he was in control. Mason was here for Corey, and Liam had known that, so that mission being accomplished, Liam was free to leave whenever he wanted.    
  
He just wasn’t sure that he was quite ready yet.    
  
Maybe Liam didn’t have a solid relationship with everyone here, but he was friendly with some of them, or at least he had been in high school, and there was also something to be said for people watching. There were changes, developments since high school, and Liam was curious to see where and how everyone ended up, even though he knew that he was largely out of the loop.    
  
He had been so popular in school, but now? Now he felt like he was on the outside looking in, and as the liquor and beer started to take effect, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this was how Theo and his friends had felt in high school. There, but just far enough away to be out of the action. It was a strange feeling, and Liam wasn’t sure if he liked it or not.    
  
“I thought you would be the life of something like this,” said an unwelcome voice at Liam’s shoulder.    
  
“And I thought you would be grinding up against Tracy,” Liam shot back.    
  
There was a little more venom in his voice than he would have liked, because he didn’t want to show that much of a care, but he didn’t love the feeling of being all alone, and having Theo call him out on it only made it worse.   
  
“Aw, you jealous?” Theo asked, elbowing Liam in the ribs. “I could see if she has a dance for you.”   
  
“Fuck off, I’m not jealous,” Liam rolled his eyes. “Just making a statement.”   
  
“Who pissed in your Cheerios?” Theo asked.   
  
“You, basically,” Liam snarled.   
  
“Ahhh,” Theo nodded, and took a sip of his own drink. “And what is it that I’m meant to have done now?”   
  
“I have to spend all week at work with you barking orders at me and making fun of me, and now this? You’re breathing down my neck here, and giving me shit? It may be a level 10 blast for you, but it’s not exactly a good time for me.”   
  
“Look, I’m teaching you how to do your job, maybe if you didn’t have such a problem with me, you wouldn't take so much issue with it.”   
  
“Maybe if you weren’t such a dick, I wouldn’t have such a problem with you,” Liam retorted.    
  
“Well maybe if you hadn’t been a dick first, I never would have been,” Theo shot back. “Whatever, I’ll leave you alone. Have fun talking to no one.”   
  
Before Liam even had the chance to ask what Theo meant by that, the other man was gone, and Liam was left feeling surlier than before.    
  
Perhaps, he thought, it was time to leave the party.    
  
The walk home was long and lonely without anyone by his side, and being a little bit drunk didn’t make it seem any shorter. A part of him debated calling Mason and asking him to come and get him, that he had changed his mind and wanted to be dropped off before he took Corey to the docks, but he didn’t want to interrupt what he was sure was already a good time. Mason didn’t ask for very much from Liam, and he gave a lot, so Liam wasn’t going to get in the way right now.    
  
He knew that he would hear all about it tomorrow, and he hoped that it would be good news, even if Corey did make him wary. Mason was an adult, and he could fend for himself.    
  
Sometimes, though, Liam didn’t feel like much of an adult, and he wondered when that was supposed to kick in. Was it when he was 18? That hadn’t felt like the case. Maybe at 21 when he bought his first legal drink, or at 25 when he could rent a car, or whenever in his mid to late 20s his brain was supposed to have fully developed? He didn’t know.    
  
He also didn’t know what Theo had been talking about. Had he done something to be a dick to Theo first? If he had, he certainly couldn’t think of it. As far as he was concerned, Theo had always been the asshole.   
  
He fell asleep that night honestly not sure how he was going to get through the summer. Things with Theo were clearly not going to get any better, and he wasn’t sure that anything else was really going to fix itself, either. Liam was feeling alone, like he was drifting, and he wasn’t sure how to find purchase. Yes, he had another year of college left, but that was it. Two more semesters, plus the last weeks of summer, to figure himself out. Considering the 20 years that he had had leading up to this, it didn’t feel like anywhere near enough time.    
  



	6. Chapter 6

If Liam had thought that his interactions with Theo at  **Banshee** had been bad the week before, it was nothing compared to what he was dealing with now. The training wheels were pretty much off, in terms of work. Liam knew the basic drinks, and how to work the register, and the more complicated drinks he was either able to deduce, or Theo could make them.    
  
As a result, Theo was no longer making fun of Liam, but barely talking to him at all. Sure, he was being professional, and not being petty enough to skip the necessities, but there was no conversation, no banter, and honestly, Liam wasn’t sure what he had done wrong.    
  
It baffled Liam that Theo could be so cold to him one second, and so warm, charming, and charismatic with the customers the next. They all seemed to eat him up, and Theo seemed to care right back. If Liam didn’t know better, he might think that Theo  _ actually _ cared, but that wasn’t the way that the other man operated.    
  
Liam was sure of that.    
  
By the end of the work day on Wednesday, Liam was certain that the varied silent treatment was actually  _ worse _ than when Theo had been mocking him, but he didn’t know what to do about it. Going up to his co-worker and saying “Hey, remember how last week you were a super dick to me, but at least you talked to me? I miss that. Let’s go back to that,” did not seem like the best option.   
  
He couldn’t say that, not after what he had told Theo at the party. Backpedaling wasn’t a good look, and frankly, Liam hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true, so why did Theo have such a stick up his ass? Maybe it was just the way that he was.    
  
“I’m late, shit, sorry!” Corey came running in the door, three minutes late for his shift. “One of the kids ran away from the pick up circle, it was a whole big mess - not my group, but I helped look anyway. God. Community center day camps. Not the most supervised.” Corey paused, panting. “Did I miss Mason?”   
  
“I’m still here,” Liam said. “So no. You’re good.”   
  
He was certain that his best friend was late every day intentionally, and Liam wasn’t going to hold that against him. If he was five minutes late, that was still a lot better than Liam having to walk or bike home, or find a different ride. Besides, Mason and Corey had apparently had a wonderful time at the dock, because it seemed, at least to Liam, as though they were rapidly moving from “summer fling” to “head over heels in love.”    
  
“Oh, good.” Corey smiled. “Okay, thanks.” He disappeared into the back to get his apron and probably calm down a little, and Liam just rolled his eyes.    
  
He had to admit that, even though Corey was friends with Theo, he was sweet, and so far, he made Mason happier than Liam had seen him in a long time.    
  
“Hey.” Mason walked through the door. “You ready?”   
  
“Yeah, let me grab my stuff.”   
  
Liam headed into the back, and as Corey walked out, Liam decided to give them a couple extra minutes to flirt while he checked his phone. Again, it really was the least he could do, to make Mason happy for all that Mason was doing for him.    
  
When Liam came back out, Mason was leaning against this counter, his body angled towards Corey’s.   
  
“I can be free tomorrow night,” Mason said with a smile, to-go cup in hand.   
  
“Meet me here before closing? You can stick around and keep me company while I lock up, then we can get a late dinner?”   
  
“Yeah, totally.” Mason was hanging off of Corey’s every word, and it seemed pretty mutual from where Liam was standing. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”   
  
“Definitely.”    
  
Mason didn’t quite move to leave yet, though, and Corey looked around cautiously before leaning in, giving him a peck on the lips. It was adorable, and bashful, really, the way that Corey was flushed as he re-situated himself behind the counter, and Liam wondered if it was policy that he couldn’t kiss anyone while working, or if Corey was just embarrassed.    
  
Maybe he would have bothered to check the employee manual when he got home if he actually  _ had  _ someone to kiss, but for the time being, he didn’t have anyone at all, and he didn’t expect that to change before the end of the summer, and as a result, the end of his turn at  **Banshee** .    
  
By the end of the work day on Friday, Mason and Corey were boyfriends, and Liam was more than looking forward to the weekend. Theo had made the job practically unbearable with his apparent ability to really hold out on his plans for silent treatment, and Liam was more than ready to spend time with people who were actually going to talk to him, rather than pretend he didn’t exist unless they needed him for work related purposes.   
  
“Okay, that was disgusting,” Liam said as he got into Mason’s car. “You and Corey flirting like that? It should be illegal. It’s sickening.”   
  
“Yeah,” Mason said with a grin on his face.    
  
“Also, what happened to ‘summer fling,’ huh?”   
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mason said.    
  
“Lies. Liar. You’re a liar.”   
  
“What do you want me to say? He’s so cute, and there’s so much more to him than that. I don’t know, we talked for hours on the dock on Saturday, and then spent all of Sunday together-”   
  
“As I’ve heard,” Liam rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t actually frustrated.   
  
He was just surprised. This didn’t seem like a great time to get a boyfriend.    
  
“And I don’t know, he’s not like anyone I’ve ever met or been with, I mean, we didn’t even have sex - we haven’t, and I don’t feel like we need to. He’s stimulating in other ways. In like every way possible.”   
  
“Okay, and moving on!” Liam laughed.    
  
“I meant like emotionally and mentally, get your mind out of the gutter,” Mason rolled his head. “Anyways what about you? Things any better with Theo?”   
  
“Oh god, no” Liam groaned.    
  
He had told Mason everything that had gone on earlier in the week - or rather, everything that hadn’t gone on, with Theo being a pain in the ass, and barely speaking to him. He had also told him about their conversation at the party just before Liam had left, though Liam might have left out the part where Theo had said that he was a dick first.    
  
After all, if it wasn’t true, was it even relevant? And yeah, maybe a part of him was worried that, since Mason was spending a lot of time with Corey, the well of his best friend might have been poisoned just a little bit by those big brown eyes that Mason seemed to love so much. It was a stupid and paranoid thought, really, but Liam was having trouble keeping the bad thoughts out in general, so why would this one be any different? Still, at the end of the day, he knew that Mason was on his side, no matter what.    
  
“So he just flat out doesn’t talk to you unless he has to for work?” Mason asked.    
  
“Yup, it’s like...he just freezes me out unless it’s literally his job not to, but the second Corey or Tracy come in, or a customer, he’s all over that shit,” Liam groaned. “He hates me. He fucking hates me. I don’t know why he would tell Kathy that he was excited to work with me, because he clearly isn’t, and it’s not like I love him either,” Liam sighed, slamming his hand down on the dashboard, which caused Mason to jump. “But it would just be a much more pleasant work environment if he weren’t such a Grade A dickhead.”   
  
“Fair enough,” Mason said with a shrug.    
  
“Fair enough? That’s all you have to say?” Liam asked. “Not, ‘oh Liam, I’m sorry he’s such a dick, you deserve so much better!’”   
  
“Oh,” Mason sighed. “Liam, you know I think it sucks, I just…”   
  
“You just what?” Liam narrowed his eyes, even if Mason, who was still driving, couldn’t see it.    
  
“I just think that people don’t go from like marginally assholeish to total silent treatment for no reason,” Mason said. “So maybe even if you don’t know what you did, or if you didn’t do something, he thinks you did, and you should talk about it.”   
  
“Talk about it?” Liam asked. “What am I supposed to do? Go up to him and be like ‘Hey, Theo, I’ve noticed that you hate me more than used to, what gives?’ and hope for the best?”   
  
“I mean, well yeah.” Mason nodded. “I don’t see why not.”   
  
“He will just make fun of me, and that will be that.”   
  
“Ah, but at least then it won’t be your fault.”   
  
“It’s already not my fault!”   
  
“Well, then at least then, you will have tried,” he said.    
  
“No. I’m not gonna go have it out with Theo Raeken at work.”   
  
“So don’t do it at work.”   
  
“It’s not like I have his phone number, I can’t just text him and ask him what the fuck, you know?”   
  
“I know.” Mason sighed. “But there’s this bonfire tomorrow night, and I’m going with Corey, and Theo will probably be there, because everyone will probably be there. Including you.”   
  
“I did not agree to this.”   
  
“So you’re gonna be the asshole who stays at home on a Saturday night because you’re afraid of Theo Raeken?”   
  
“I’m not afraid of him!”   
  
“Prove it.” Mason smirked as he pulled into Liam’s driveway.    
  
“See, I know what you’re doing,” Liam said. “You’re trying to flare up my need to be right about things, and to prove I’m not afraid by incensing me until I agree to go.”   
  
“Yup.” Mason nodded, turning to his friend, a smile in place on his face. “Is it working?”   
  
Liam let out a long, aggravated sigh.    
  
“Yes.”   
  
“Great. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 9.” Mason had a bit of a shit eating grin on his face, and Liam rolled his eyes as he got out of the car.    
  
“I hate you,” Liam said. “Just a little bit, but I hate you.”   
  
“Just a little bit?” Mason tilted his head to the side. “I can live with that.”   
  
“Get fucked.”   
  
“Oh believe me, that’s the hope.” Mason winked, and then drove off, leaving Liam standing in the driveway, sighing.    
  
A bonfire was one thing. Talking to Theo Raeken at the bonfire was another thing entirely. Mason wanted him to, and he knew it, but he just didn’t think that it was a good idea.    
  
That all changed after several beers. It had to be getting close to midnight, and Liam had been drinking beers and hanging out with his friends, namely Mason and Corey, and a few others that he was still on good terms with from high school, when he noticed that Theo had left the party. He noticed the other man sitting several feet away from the main festivities, his feet buried into the sand, staring out into the darkness at the ocean.    
  
Fired up by the alcohol in his bloodstream, Liam grabbed another beer, popped the can open, and stumbled through the sand towards Theo.    
  
He didn’t land as gracefully as he had hoped, and he hit the sand with a loud thud, wincing slightly. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable landing, but he would get over it.    
  
“Well, hello,” Theo said.    
  
“Oh, so you’re talking to me now?” Liam asked, raising his beer and taking a long gulp.    
  
“Fuck.” Theo sighed, and Liam noticed that, rather than a beer like him, Theo had a bottle of whiskey buried in the sand between his legs. His knees were bent, and he looked as though he had been sitting there for awhile, but Liam wasn’t sure how long.    
  
“What?” Liam asked.    
  
“You just can’t leave well enough alone, can you?”   
  
“I could if it were well enough,” Liam argued. “But it’s bullshit. So. That’s not well enough.”   
  
“I don’t know what you want from me,” Theo said, lifting the bottle of whiskey and taking a long pull of it before setting it back down. “You get pissed for how I talk to you at work, so I cut the chatter to just work related stuff, and you hate that, too? There’s no winning with you, Dunbar.”   
  
“Well I wouldn’t mind talking to you if you weren’t always such an asshole!” Liam argued. “And giving me the silent treatment isn’t exactly fun for me.”   
  
“Okay, you know what, Dunbar?” Theo turned on him. “I’m sick of this sanctimonious, ‘I don’t do anything wrong ever, look at me I am such an angel’ act.”    
  
Liam was taken aback by the fierceness in Theo’s eyes, and he wanted to shrink back into the shadows, but the beach was wide open, and there was really nowhere for him to hide from this, from Theo.    
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liam replied.    
  
“You’re always talking about how I’m such a dick, and how I’m so terrible, and it’s oh poor Liam,” Theo said. “But you’re no peach yourself, you know that? You’re just...Ugh!” Theo groaned, reaching for the bottle, and taking another swig. “You're like, actually the worst.”   
  
“Oh I am not!” Liam frowned.    
  
“Yeah, you are,” Theo said. “In high school you were the worst, and you’re the worst now.”   
  
“In high school, you told me you were gonna murder me,” Liam said, point blank.    
  
They were both drunk, and the alcohol likely wasn’t helping either of them to make good choices right now, but it was too late. Liam had engaged, and Theo, it seemed, was not planning on backing down.    
  
“I said that because you were a jerk!” Theo said. “You and all your friends, pushing the uncool kids around, throwing them into dumpsters and trash cans, and always talking and laughing and saying mean shit about me behind my back.”   
  
“You-”   
  
“I’m not finished,” Theo stated. “I wasn’t serious when I said I was gonna murder you, but you had your head so far up your ass that you assumed every lousy rumor was true, and I heard you laughing about it with your friends, Liam. Those jokes and rumors that I killed my sister? I know you find them funny, or at least you did, and you know what? It’s not funny. It’s not. I had  _ nothing _ to do with Tara’s death. People said that because I was a little bit of a dark kid, and yeah, my sister dying didn’t really do much to help that, but I didn’t kill her. My sister died, and it had nothing to do with me, and instead of being able to properly grieve her, some snot nosed little asshole decided it would be funny to spread the rumor that _ I  _ killed her, and you know what? That _ never _ left. To this  _ day, _ people from school still say shit like that about me. Do you know what that feels like? To lose someone that you love, and have to spend every day with people whispering in the hallways, and laughing about it? Calling you a murderer? I was going through the darkest time of my life, living with something no little kid should have to, and instead of getting sympathy and care from my classmates, I got hate. And your friends were the worst, Liam.” He spat. “It was the cool kids, always the cool kids, saying things like ‘Oh, here, comes the murderer! Better watch your back!’ and ‘Kill anyone over the weekend, Raeken?’”    
  
“Theo, I-”   
  
“You laughed. Don’t pretend that you didn’t, because you did. And you didn’t tell them to can it, and you whispered, because  _ everyone _ whispered, and so yeah. I don’t like you.” He grabbed the neck of the bottle and took a long swig before getting to his feet. “You and your asshole friends basically made my life hell. I’m  _ never _ gonna escape that rumor, as long as I live here, and I have no way out, so I’m stuck with the label you idiots branded on me as a joke.” Theo turned, stalking away through the sand, probably attempting to storm, but honestly, with the grains flying up beneath his bare feet as he walked away, it didn’t have quite the menacing appearance intended.   
  
“Theo,” Liam got to his feet, stumbling, and spilling part of his beer. “Theo, wait.”   
  
“Fuck  _ all  _ the way off, Dunbar,” Theo snarled, turning on Liam.    
  
He walked up to him, getting right in Liam’s face.    
  
“You don’t know shit about me, you don’t know shit about my life, and if I have to hear  _ one _ more time that I’m the bad guy, I’m  _ gonna _ be the bad guy, do you understand me?”   
  
Liam gulped.    
  
He had seen Theo be pissy and jerk-y before, but he had never seen him angry, truly angry, not like this, and honestly, it was frightening. He had no doubt in his mind that, if Theo wanted to, he could snap his neck right there. It was an unpleasant thought, especially considering what Theo was telling him - that he wasn’t a murderer, and that those words hurt, but Liam couldn’t get it out of his mind.    
  
“What?” Theo spat. “Cat got your tongue now that you can’t play victim anymore? I’ll see you at work on Monday.”    
  
Rather than snap Liam’s neck, Theo shoved him, just hard enough for Liam to fall backwards, losing his balance and landing ass-first in the sand. This gave Theo time to walk off before Liam could go after him, and honestly, Liam wasn’t sure that he wanted to.    
  
In fact, he didn’t even get up right away. He just sat there, the rest of his beer now spilled, staring off at Theo’s diminishing form in the distance.    
  



	7. Chapter 7

Liam’s conversation with Theo had not gone as he had expected, and he wasn’t sure what to say about it. High school hadn’t been that long ago, and even drunk, Liam couldn’t pretend that he didn’t remember. He knew the rumors, people whispering that Theo had killed Tara, people calling him names, and yeah, he had laughed about it too, but it had just been a joke, hadn’t it? No one had actually thought that Theo had killed Tara!   
  
For the first time, though, Liam realized that, whether everyone knew it or not, it was probably not fun at  _ all _ for Theo to have to hear jokes about his sister’s death. How had this never occurred to him before? How was it possible that he could have been so terrible and not even realized it? Was it the herd mentality? Was it that it was just easier to assume something was okay because the people around him were doing it? Was he actually just a god-awful person? How could he have pushed all of this so far from his mind, when clearly, he had been so much in the wrong?    
  
Theo was telling the truth. Liam couldn’t spin this, and pretend like Theo was making it something bigger than it was, because yeah, Theo was right. People had been giant assholes about it, and for a little while there, Liam had even believed the rumor. Theo had been sort of a weird kid, and a little bit on the dark side, so when he had first heard that Theo was being looked at for Tara’s death, it had made sense to his still-developing brain.    
  
Then again, the fact that his brain was still developing didn’t make for much of an excuse. Without warning, even to himself, he leaned over and puked in the sand. He watched as his mostly-beer laden vomit sunk into the dark grains, and he felt absolutely awful - because he was drunk, because he was sick to his stomach, and because he had been absolutely horrendous to Theo, and possibly countless other people.    
  
He didn’t get up. Liam stayed there, staring at his own vomit, and wondering how much other stuff he had let slide by simply because it was too uncomfortable to think about. He was afraid of the answer to that question, and he wasn’t even sure that he was capable of it. Right now, his brain was still processing what Theo had said, and yeah. Liam got why the guy hated him.    
  
Right now, he hated himself.    
  
“Hey, dude, where-” Mason stopped short as he noticed Liam sitting in the sand, vomit next to him. “Oh, that’s not good. We gotta get you home.”   
  
“I’m a monster,” Liam said, looking up to Mason.    
  
“What?”   
  
“I’m a monster,” Liam said again.    
  
“Whoa, buddy, I get that you’re drunk, but what’s going on?”   
  
“I…” he gulped. “I went to talk to Theo, like you wanted, except I waited until I was definitely not sober anymore, and he wasn’t sober either, but then…” Liam sighed. “I called him out for being a dick to me, and then he called me out for being a dick to him, and god, how did I not notice what a fucking jerk I was in high school?”   
  
“You had a lot going on in high school,” Mason said.    
  
“Yeah, and none of it excuses making fun of someone’s dead sister,” Liam said.    
  
“Oh.” Mason bit his lip.    
  
“Yeah, when you were in the library being “Mason” at lunch, I...when I sat with the other Lax Bros…but you were always too good for that shit, you were always the sort to look past it, and I should have been like that, but I wasn’t, not when I was around them, and he thinks I think it’s funny!” Liam said. “He thinks that I think his sister dying is funny, and I don’t, but I can totally see how he got there, and I’m a monster.”   
  
Liam cried the words out as he lay back in the sand, not caring that it was going to get in his hair. He was drunk, and he felt terrible. How was he going to help with this? He didn’t really think that there was a way.    
  
Furthermore, how was he supposed to go to work with Theo on Monday? He didn’t think that he would be able to look him in the eye, but at the same time, he knew that if he quit, he would have to explain why. He didn’t think that he would be able to handle the look of disappointment that he knew his mother would have if she was aware just how badly he had fucked up, if she knew just what a garbage can her only child truly was.    
  
“Okay, we’ve gotta get you home.” Mason reached for Liam’s arm and tugged him up. “Come on. Lyft time. Off we go.”   
  
“Lyft?” Liam asked, half-heartedly helping himself up while Mason did the rest of the work.    
  
“I’m too drunk to drive, I’ll have to come back for my car tomorrow, but you gotta get home, you’re in bad shape.”   
  
“I am.” Liam whined. “I puked.”   
  
“I know.” Mason nodded, putting an arm around Liam, rubbing his back. “It’s okay.”   
  
“I’m a shit goblin.”   
  
“We all are sometimes,” Mason said as he started to walk towards the edge of the beach, closer to a lot where they would be able to get a car to pick them up.    
  
“Not you. You’re never a shit goblin,” Liam argued. “You’re always so good and so fair to everyone, you’re not even holding this against me now!”   
  
“I think you’re punishing yourself enough, I don’t have to be a part of that.” He sighed. “And besides, I can be a shit goblin too, I promise. For example, I’m about to abandon my date at a party.”   
  
“What?!” Liam looked at Mason, his eyes wide. “Sweet Corey with the big brown eyes? You can’t leave him! You love him!”   
  
“I don’t love him,” Mason laughed. “I like him, but I can’t leave you, and I’m not dragging you back through the party. I’ll text him while we wait for the car.”   
  
“Bring him with us,” Liam said. “Just prop me up against that tree and go get him, I’m be fine.”   
  
“ _ I’m _ be fine?” Mason repeated. “You’re drunk off your ass, you’re not  _ be _ fine.”   
  
“Whatever.” Liam sighed. “Go get brown eyes.”   
  
“You sure?” Mason asked after hesitating for just a moment.    
  
“Sure.” Liam nodded.    
  
“Okay.” Mason propped Liam up against the tree in question, and looked at him. “Don’t go anywhere, okay? Stay right here, I’m gonna get Corey, and we are going to get you home, okay?”   
  
“Okay.” Liam nodded.    
  
“I will be right back.”   
  
“I know.” Liam sighed. “You’re a good friend.”   
  
“Hey,” Mason gestured to a guy who was smoking a cigarette nearby. “Can you watch him for like, two minutes? Just make sure he doesn’t, like, get hit by a car or fall over and choke on his own vomit?”   
  
“Sure thing, dude,” the guy said, nodding, and Mason took off back towards the party.    
  
Liam groaned as he leaned against the tree. He did not feel good at all, but he wasn’t sure how much that had to do with the fact that he had been drinking, or whether it was more from the huge bomb that Theo had dropped.   
  
It was probably the latter, since Liam had definitely been to parties where he had had more to drink than he had tonight, and hadn’t felt this awful. Then again, he wasn’t sure that he had ever felt quite this awful, because this was an entirely new sort of awful. He couldn’t believe that he had been so cruel, so careless, but at the same time, he remembered it. Sure, he had needed Theo to tell him point blank, but once he had? It had all come rushing back to Liam, and he felt like an absolute sack of drunken shit.    
  
It was not a good feeling.    
  
“Okay,” Mason came jogging back, surprisingly, without Corey in tow. “Josh Diaz is gonna make sure Corey gets home, and I’m gonna focus on you.”   
  
“So no big brown eyes?”   
  
“Not right now.”   
  
“No ‘Mason gets laid’?”   
  
“Not tonight.” Mason shook his head.    
  
“Fuck, I am ruining  _ everything _ !” Liam groaned, flailing his arms about uselessly.    
  
“Hey, it’s okay, no you’re not. Honestly, I think being a good friend is actually winning me some points with Corey, so don’t worry about it, okay? It shows him that I can take care of people when need be, and apparently, need is currently be.”   
  
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Liam frowned. “Or does it, and I’m just a mess?”   
  
“Honestly?” Mason shrugged. “Possibly both. Probably both. I’m not exactly stone cold sober myself.”   
  
“Mmmm,” Liam sighed. “Theo was having a whole bottle of whiskey,” Liam suddenly remembered. “He can’t drive home!”   
  
“Okay.” Mason bit his lip. “I’ll text Corey and see if anyone can help make sure Theo gets home.”   
  
“Thank you.” Liam rested his head against Mason’s shoulder. “When’s the car getting here?”   
  
“Says Stiles is 4 minutes away.”   
  
“What the hell is a Stiles?” Liam groaned.    
  
“It’s a who? He was a couple years ahead of us in school. You need to take some deep breaths, man.”   
  
“I’m trying, but I feel like shit!” Liam whined. “Not just because I drank too much, but because I am a giant turd bucket. That’s what I feel like. A bucket of turds. Physically, emotionally, mentally, I’m a turd bucket.”   
  
“Say turd bucket  _ one _ more time,” Mason said, trying to stifle a laugh.    
  
“Turd bucket,” Liam said solemnly.    
  
Mason couldn’t help but snort with laughter, though he did his best to hide it from his best friend. Were he sober, he might have been a little more composed, but he had had more than a couple of beers himself.    
  
“Hey,” Mason said. “You’re not a turd bucket, okay? You did some less than beautiful things, but that doesn’t make you, you know - god, I can’t say it again. I will start laughing.”   
  
“Turd bucket,” Liam said, with a grin on his face - the first that Mason had seen since finding Liam in the sand.    
  
Mason burst out laughing, and Liam joined him. And honestly, it felt good. Really good. Even in the garbage of the night, there was still something for them to laugh about, and Liam appreciated that. He was going to be suffering for awhile, from the hangover, and from the fact that, when he woke up in the morning, he was going to have to figure out how to deal with what he had learned from Theo. He knew that, even once he didn’t feel so terrible from the beer, he was still going to have that feeling in his gut that he had hurt someone, possibly more than one person, and he had some atoning to do.   
  
“Good thing you can still laugh,” Mason said. “I’m changing your name in my phone to Turd Bucket, by the way.”   
  
“You wouldn’t,” Liam said.    
  
“Oh, come on, bro, you know I would.” Mason laughed. “Oh, shit, that’s Stiles, come on.”    
  
Mason helped Liam into the back of the car, and Stiles turned around.    
  
“Hi, I’m Stiles, I’ll be your designated driver tonight, apparently. There is water in the door, and for the love of god, if you’re gonna spew, spew into this.” He handed over a barf bag. “I’ll drive slow, windows down.”   
  
“Oh god, do I look that bad?” Liam asked, his eyes wide.    
  
“No, no, of course not!” Mason said at the same time that Stiles said:   
  
“Yeah, man, you really do.”   
  
Liam just groaned, resting his head on the back of the car seat and closing his eyes. This night was embarrassing all around for several reasons, and he just wanted it to be over with. Soon, he told himself. Soon, he would be home in his own bed.   
  
“Just take deep breaths,” Mason said, reaching out for his shoulder and squeezing it gently. “You’re gonna be home soon, and I’ll stay with you until you’re good, okay?”   
  
“Mhmm.” Liam nodded.    
  
“And we’ll be so quiet, Jenna won’t even notice,” Mason said encouragingly.    
  
“Oh god,” Liam whined. “Yeah, she can’t see me like this. I can’t explain everything to her. I have caused her enough trouble this summer, I can’t-”   
  
“Hey, buddy, it’s okay,” Mason said, gently patting Liam’s arm. “You’re gonna be okay. I’m not gonna tell your mom shit, okay? I’ve got your back.”   
  
“I know you do.” Liam nodded. “You always do.”   
  
“I always have, always will.” Mason reached into the door and pulled out one of the bottles of water. “Here. Drink this, it’ll help.”    
  
Mason pressed the bottle of water into Liam’s hand, and begrudgingly, Liam took a sip.    
  
The rest of the Lyft ride was pretty standard, though Liam couldn’t claim to be feeling very good at all once he got out of the car. The combination of everything - what he had learned from Theo, the booze, and the movement of the vehicle were all roiling his stomach, and he just wanted to lie down.    
  
Fortunately for him, he had Mason to make sure that happened, and soon he was tucked in bed, in his pajamas, with a big glass of water right next to him, and he didn’t know how anyone survived in this world without a Mason.    
  
“You’re gonna be okay,” Mason said, sitting on the bed next to where Liam lay, gently rubbing his back.   
  
“I gotta fix this,” Liam said miserably, though he had no idea how to go about doing that.    
  
“We can figure that out later, when you’re sober. Right now, you’re not going to solve anything, okay? You’re drunk, and you’re upset, and that’s...just not going to make anything any easier. Just take deep breaths, drink water, and get yourself to sleep. Then tomorrow, once you get past your hangover, if you’re ready to deal with this, just wake up, give me a call, and I’ll come right over.”   
  
“Weren’t you supposed to take Corey to the lake tomorrow?” Liam asked.    
  
“Well, yes,” Mason nodded. “But this is important, you gotta be there for your friends. I think that he’ll understand. He likes that I’m caring, you know? I think that matters to him, I think he needs someone like that in his life, and I can be that for him, and this for you, okay? It’s not like some horrible thing where I have to choose between my best friend and my boyfriend. As long as I’m honest, it’ll be okay.”   
  
“Oh god.” Liam whined. “Look, tomorrow, you go to the lake with Corey, okay? I will need the day to process, probably, anyways, so you might as well have fun.”   
  
“You sure?” Mason asked.    
  
“Mhmm.” Liam nodded against his pillow.    
  
“Alright, well if you need me, call me, okay? I’ll have my phone.”   
  
“Mkay.” Liam nodded.    
  
“Go to sleep, Liam,” Mason said.    
  
“Will you stay?” Liam asked softly.    
  
“Yeah.” Mason nodded, lying down on the bed next to him. “I’ll stay.”   
  
It was easier to sleep knowing that his best friend was right there by his side, but at the same time, it still wasn’t the best sleep of his life, and when he woke up, he was so glad for the glass of water and Ibuprofen next to his bed. He swallowed both down quickly, and lay back, looking at the ceiling.    
  
“Hey,” Mason said. “You sure you’re okay if I go to the lake?”   
  
“Yeah.” Liam nodded. “I don’t know if today is a ‘getting out of bed’ day for me.”   
  
“Fair enough.” Mason got up. “But I meant it, okay? Call me if you need anything, and I will be right there.”   
  
“Okay.” Liam sighed, watching his best friend get his things together and re-fill Liam’s water glass before leaving.    
  
Liam had one day before he had to be back at work, and face Theo. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do or say once he was back in the same room as that man, but he spent his entire day trying to wrap his head around it. When his brain hurt too much, he watched some TV, but for the most part, he did his best to focus on how he was going to handle the rest of the summer working with someone who hated him, and apparently, for a good reason.    
  



	8. Chapter 8

By the time Monday morning rolled around, he still didn’t really have a solid plan, and as he locked his bike outside of the coffee shop, he felt a nervousness that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.    
  
What he had not expected to be a possible outcome was that  _ Corey _ would be the one waiting for him behind the counter, and not Theo.    
  
“Hey,” Liam said slowly as he donned his apron, washed his hands, and fell into place beside him. “Um, no offense, like I’m fine working with you, but-”   
  
“Where’s Theo?” Corey asked.    
  
“Well, yeah.” Liam nodded.    
  
“He needed a little extra sleep,” Corey said. “And the community center camp is closed today, so I told him I’d switch shifts with him.”   
  
“Oh.” Liam gulped, nodding.    
  
Had Theo told Corey what had happened between the two of them at the beach party? Had Mason? Was Theo actually just needing more sleep, or was he not here because he didn’t want to be anywhere near Liam? Was it selfish to think that any of this was because of him, or was that just a logical train of thought? He honestly didn’t know, and he didn’t really want to spill the beans if Corey didn’t already know. Then again, maybe he should. If Corey knew Theo well, he might have some advice.    
  
“I actually was really game for it,” Corey said before Liam could get a word out. “I’ve been wanting to get to know you a little bit, and maybe...you know…” he bit his lip.    
  
“Ask me lots of questions about Mason?” Liam asked.    
  
“Well, not like a lot, but you know,” Corey shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m falling for him. Like really, truly, actually falling for him, and I just want to make sure that I’m not reading this wrong, that I’m not getting invested in someone who isn’t getting invested in me.” He paused. “I’ve been hurt before, and I just don’t want to set myself up for that again. I don’t want to be so stupid a second time, you know?”   
  
“Okay.” Liam nodded. “You make me a latte, and I’ll tell you what I think, okay?”   
  
“Deal.” Corey was practically pulling the espresso shot before Liam had even realized that he had to find the best way of saying this that wouldn’t hurt either Corey, or his best friend.    
  
“Okay, so with Mason, he would never hurt you on purpose. He’s not that kind of guy. I mean, come on, Corey, he’s the kind of guy who leaves the hottest guy at the party to take care of his best friend who is being a total idiot,” he admitted. “Like you have to know that means something, that he’s like that. He’s a good guy.”   
  
“Yeah.” Corey smiled. “I have to admit that I really liked that about him. I mean, not so much the being left part, but he came to find me, and he told me, and I don’t want to be like, a vampire in his life and suck everyone else out of it. I want him to have his friends, and his family, and all of that. I just don't want to be stupid. I know he’s going back to school in the fall…”   
  
“You guys had the talk, right?” Liam said. “You decided to be boyfriends?”   
  
“Well, yeah…”   
  
“He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t mean it. If he didn’t want it, okay? I can promise you that. Was he just looking for a fling when he started flirting with you? Yeah, but he’s told me that it’s more than that. I believe him, and you should, too.”   
  
“Okay.” Corey nodded. “I mean, I do. I guess I just wanted to hear it from a third party.”   
  
“I get it.” Liam nodded.    
  
“Thank you. I...that feels better. It feels good. I really, really, really fucking like him,” Corey admitted, handing over the latte.    
  
“Yeah, I can tell,” Liam said. “And as far as I’m concerned, you couldn’t have fallen for a better guy.”   
  
“That’s relieving,” Corey admitted. “I tend to have a history of doing the exact opposite.”   
  
“Well, not this time.” Liam took a sip of his latte, sighing in happiness. “God, this is good, Corey.”   
  
“Yeah.” Corey smiled. “Is it weird that I really like making coffee?”   
  
“Nope.” Liam shook his head. “Everyone has their calling, and don’t get me wrong, Theo’s good, but this is better.”   
  
“I won’t tell him you said that,” Corey said with a laugh.   
  
“Probably for the best, he hates me enough as it is,” Liam muttered.   
  
“I don’t think he hates you,” Corey said.    
  
“Oh, no, he hates me. He made that very clear at the party this weekend.”   
  
“Oh, okay, well I-”   
  
Corey was cut off by the bell above the door ringing, and he quickly turned away from Liam and to the customer.    
  
“Hi, Welcome to **Banshee Coffee & Tea** , what can I get for you?”    
  
From there, they didn’t really get the chance to talk again for over an hour. There was a steady stream of customers, and honestly, Liam was sort of glad for that, because he hadn’t really figured out what he was going to say to Corey about any of this. What if Corey didn’t know about all of those things in Theo’s past? Liam didn’t want to spill all of those secrets, they weren’t his to tell, and he knew that. He didn’t want to dig himself any further into this hole with Theo, because even if he didn’t need the guy to like him or anything like that, they still worked together, and he needed that to be tolerable. After all, Corey likely wouldn’t be able to permanently switch shifts with Theo, and Liam knew better than to hope for that.    
  
For a brief moment, he wondered if Tracy would be willing to switch him, so that he could work closing with Corey, but god, that would be such a cowardly move. Maybe it was something that he could offer to Theo, if Theo would rather be rid of Liam, but he didn’t want it to look like he was running away. He wanted to be better than that, but maybe he wasn’t. Maybe this was just who he was, and who he was happened to be sort of a piece of shit.    
  
God, he hoped not. He wanted to be better than that, he really, really did.    
  
It just might not have been so easy to change his stripes.    
  
“Okay,” Corey laughed. “God, we don’t usually get rushes like that in the afternoon shift!” But he was smiling, and Liam got the feeling that he really enjoyed what he was doing.    
  
“Yeah, it’s...I’m getting better at it, I think, but the first one like that, I just fumbled right and left. It was not a good look.”   
  
“You’re new.” Corey shrugged. “No one is great at anything right away. Everything takes time. It’s a learning curve.”   
  
And yeah, okay, Liam could see what Mason saw in Corey. He was really fucking nice, and he was cute to boot. Maybe not Liam’s type, but he was starting to be less skeptical of Corey by the minute. He just seemed like an unassuming, sweet guy.    
  
“So, this is totally garbage, but I have to ask,” Corey said, leaning against the counter. “You and Mason, you never...?”   
  
“Oh god no.” Liam shook his head. “No, nope. No. Never. He’s my best friend. He’s like my brother, there’s just...no way. No way at all.”   
  
“Okay.” Corey laughed again. “I just had to check, I don’t wanna be stepping on any toes here.”   
  
“You are so not,” Liam assured him. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Mason, and if you hurt him, they will never find your body, but it’s very much that family kind of love. I am no threat to your relationship.”   
  
“Wait,” Corey narrowed his eyes. “Did you just threaten to kill me?”   
  
“I mean,” Liam shrugged. “Only if you hurt him.”   
  
“Is it weird that I’m taking that as a good sign?” Corey asked. “I mean, if he wasn’t invested in me, you wouldn’t be worried about him getting hurt, and a sentence like that would never come up.”   
  
“Huh,” Liam smiled. “I had never thought of it that way. God, you really are like a little ball of optimism, aren’t you?”   
  
“Not always,” Corey shrugged. “But Mason makes me really happy, and the thought that he actually really likes me, and that he’s, you know, not playing me? That makes me feel really good. Hopeful. Have you ever been with someone like that? Someone that makes you feel hopeful? Like things don’t have to always be bullshit, they could actually be alright?”   
  
“Well,” Liam paused to think. “I guess sort of, maybe once.”    
  
“It feels good,” Corey said. “And...oh.”    
  
Liam was confused as he watched Corey’s face fall. His whole expression and demeanor changed entirely.    
  
“What?” Liam asked, looking around as a new customer entered. The man was in his late 40s or possibly early 50s, and he looked familiar, but Liam couldn’t quite place him. He was tall, blonde, dressed well, and walking towards them with great purpose.   
  
“It’s the Dread Doctor,” Corey hissed under his breath as the man approached the counter. “Hi, welcome to  **Banshee Coffee & Tea** , what can I get you?” Corey’s tone was different than it had been with every other customer - there was something icy about it that, honestly, Liam hadn’t expected Corey to have in him.   
  
Moments ago, he had felt like he was talking to a literal ball of sunshine, and now? This Corey was rigid, and stiff, and almost angry, if Liam was reading that right.    
  
Liam wanted to ask what the hell a “Dread Doctor” was, but with the customer right there, he assumed that that would not be the best idea in the world, and he kept his mouth shut, standing by the espresso machine, ready to make the drink once the order came in.   
  
“You’re not Theo,” the man said, sporting a slightly confused expression.    
  
“Well spotted,” Corey said. “What are you having?”   
  
“This is cute,” the man said. “You’re like a puppy baring its teeth. Not at all fearsome.”   
  
“Are you having a coffee or not?” Corey asked, folding his arms across his chest.    
  
“I’ll take a double shot, extra hot, bone dry cappuccino.”   
  
“Fine.” Corey punched the drink in, his fingers hitting the buttons much harder than usual. “Anything else?”   
  
“Tell him I stopped by?”   
  
“I will not.”    
  
“You’re being unnecessarily difficult,” the man said.    
  
“Oh, really? Am I?” Corey asked. “You’ve ordered. Pay, and move along.”   
  
“I could write you up on YELP for being so rude to me, you know,” the man said.    
  
“Go ahead,” Corey said. “Our reviews are off the charts. Your temper tantrum because my friend won’t sleep with you anymore won’t exactly tank my career.”   
  
“Career?” The man laughed. “You think that this is a career? You sling coffee. It’s barely a step up from flipping burgers. It’s nothing. You’re here to serve me.”   
  
“Get out,” Corey said.    
  
“I ordered.”   
  
“But you didn’t pay, and I have the right to refuse service to anyone. Get. Out.”   
  
“He’s already making my drink,” the man pointed out, gesturing to Liam.    
  
“And I will get great pleasure out of drinking it myself. Out. Now.” Corey pointed to the door, and there was something set in his eyes.    
  
Liam didn’t know whether to be intimidated or impressed. He hadn’t seen anything like this out of Corey before, but then again, he hadn’t really known him well. This? This was different, this was new, and Liam was dying to know what the hell was going on.   
  
The man stared Corey down, and Liam half expected Corey to cave. This man was taller than he was, and definitely more filled out, broader, and suddenly, Liam realized where he recognized him from. He was a doctor, and he worked at the hospital with Liam’s stepdad. They had met once or twice, but never really spoken much, and Liam couldn’t help but wonder if his stepdad knew what an asshole this guy really was. The way that he was talking down to Corey was  _ not  _ okay.    
  
“Fine,” the man said, realizing that Corey was not going to back down the way he had clearly initially thought that he would. “But even if you don’t tell him I stopped by, I’ll come back. It’s not like I’m going to miss him every time.”   
  
“He doesn’t want to see you!” Corey called after him as the man walked away from the counter. “Have a screamin’ good day!” It was a tagline that the employees sometimes said, mostly as a joke, and Liam could tell there was malice in Corey’s voice as he spewed the words.   
  
A couple customers looked up, but most of them paid no mind to the situation. Corey had been sweet and kind to all of them, so why would they get upset about the way he was calling after this customer?    
  
It wasn’t long before the man was out the door, and Corey closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.    
  
“Okay…” Liam looked at Corey. “So you know that you have to tell me what that was all about, right? Because that was...I’ve never seen you _ or _ Theo talk to a customer like that, and I’m guessing there has to be a pretty good reason for it.”   
  
“I…” Corey rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little anxious. “I don’t know if it’s really my thing to tell you. Then again, he never would, and you are gonna have to be prepared in case he comes back when I’m not here.”   
  
“Okay, I’m listening.” And yeah, Liam was definitely even more curious now than he had been before, because that was quite the addition to what was already a very, very weird interaction.    
  
“So, that’s...Todd Guthrie,” Corey sighed. “He’s a doctor.”   
  
“Yeah, he works at the hospital with my stepdad.” Liam wasn’t sure what any of this had to do with Theo, though.    
  
“And he sort of, I mean,” Corey paused. “Look, when Theo was younger, but I mean, already an adult,” he said quickly. “They started seeing each other. Dating. It got really serious really quickly, and Theo didn’t realize that it wasn’t so good until he was in so deep that he didn’t really know how to get out.”    
  
“Oh shit.” Liam didn’t mean to release those words, but what else was someone supposed to say? This guy looked like he was more than twice their age.    
  
“Yeah, I mean, Theo was 18, and Todd was the first person who really took Theo’s hand and told him everything that he wanted to hear. He worked at the hospital, and he had been in residency when Tara died, and he told Theo that he knew there was no way that he could have had anything to do with it, and everyone in this fucking town that was age appropriate for Theo was either someone that Theo couldn’t really see himself with, or someone that thought Theo murdered his own sister, or at least that it was something to joke about.”   
  
Liam felt sick to his stomach when Corey mentioned that part, and he felt at least partially responsible for driving Theo towards a massive douchebag. Why had everyone been so terrible to Theo? Why had  _ he _ ?   
  
“So, you know, Theo fell for it. I mean Todd is good looking, and he was charming, and charismatic, and he told Theo that he loved him, and they moved in together, and he took care of Theo, and then took control of Theo. It all escalated really, really quickly, and Theo got stuck. He had this job here, but Todd didn’t really like that, and he made sure that Theo knew that, but Theo refused to give it up because he wanted his own money, and they had a big fight, and it was...bad. It was really bad, and Theo finally left.” Corey shrugged. “It was absolutely the right thing, and now sometimes Todd comes in here, and I honestly can’t tell if he’s trying to torture Theo, or get him back, but it seems like some deranged combination of both, and I just...I hate him. I actually hate him so much.”   
  
“It...sounds like you have a good reason,” Liam said softly.    
  
“And Theo...the way that he gets around him? It’s like he crumbles. Todd still has some fucked up power over him, and I don’t know what it is, but when he comes in here, Theo buckles. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it myself.”   
  
And honestly, Liam could understand that. Theo always seemed so strong to him, so sure of himself. The thought that some guy could make him cave in on himself was horrifying. Especially a guy who would talk to someone as kind as Corey the way that he had. There was clearly so much about Theo that Liam hadn’t known, and he had still gone all in on judging him. Frankly, he felt a little bit terrible about that now, but what could he do? He couldn’t exactly just turn around on it and act like everything was fine, because it wasn’t. He also knew that he had no idea how to face Theo now.    
  
“And you call him the Dread Doctor?”   
  
“Yup.” Corey nodded. “Theo doesn’t, that’s a “me” thing, well and I think Tracy does, too, now, but you know.” He shrugged. “Just watch out for him. Theo won’t defend himself if Todd is around, so sometimes we have to do it for him. Can you do that?”   
  
“Uh…” Liam shrugged. He didn’t know Theo, he barely knew the situation, and he was doing the best that he could to grasp it, he really was, but this was all very blindsiding. Honestly, after what he had learned over the weekend, he felt like he was going to throw up again. “I’ll do my best.”   
  
“That's all I can ask,” Corey said. “And look, maybe don’t...don't tell him that I told you all of this?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. “I’m not sure how much he wants people to know, but I think that it’s necessary for you to. This won’t be the last time he pops in this summer, and honestly, he knows Theo’s shift, so he’s going to come back and actually see him sometime. He’s just… _ like _ that.”   
  
“He sounds absolutely horrific.”   
  
“He is.” Corey nodded. “But he hasn’t actually done anything that Theo can really press charges for, and honestly, I don’t think Theo would even if he could,” Corey sighed. “And I don’t know, he probably wouldn’t win even if he did, because Todd is rich and powerful and Theo is...Theo.”   
  
“Okay.” Liam took a deep breath. “Wow. That’s - sorry, it’s just a lot, you know? It’s a lot.”   
  
“It is,” Corey agreed. “But you told me some stuff about Mason, so it seemed only right to give you that low down, and I’m sorry if it’s a burden, I really am-”   
  
“No, no, thank you for telling me,” Liam said. “And for the record, you were impressive with him,” he said with a smile.    
  
“Thanks.”   
  
“Are you going to tell Theo that he was here?”   
  
“Yeah.” Corey nodded. “But I wasn’t gonna give that fucko the satisfaction of knowing that. Theo deserves to know, especially since it means he’s probably going to pop back up in the next week or so.”   
  
“Okay.”   
  
After that, things calmed down. Sure, there were enough customers to keep them busy, and to clean in between. They made small talk and all of that, but Liam couldn’t get everything off of his mind. He knew now, more than ever, that he was going to have to talk to Theo, but he didn’t know how to do that. Maybe he just needed to start being nice, doing what he said, and getting through the summer. It wasn’t on him to fix Theo’s problems, and Theo probably didn’t even need him to, right? He had this under control, he had to. He didn’t know, though, how to handle that exactly, and when Theo walked in for his shift, a few minutes early, Liam froze up.    
  
“Hey,” Corey walked right up to Theo. “Um, look.” Corey kept his voice low and quiet, but Liam didn’t need to hear every word to know what they were talking about. “He was here today. Asking for you, I didn’t tell him anything, but I expect he’ll be back in the next few days, so just be aware.”   
  
“Thanks.” Theo nodded.    
  
“Always.” Corey reached out and put his hand on Theo’s shoulder, squeezing it before disappearing into the back to remove his apron.    
  
“What are you staring at?” Theo snapped as he caught sight of Liam.    
  
“Nothing,” Liam said quickly. “No, nothing at all, I was just...oh look, there’s Mason.” He gestured towards the door where his best friend was, wondering if he had ever been more relieved to see the other man.    
  
He thought probably not.    
  
“Whatever.” Theo rolled his eyes and went to get his own apron, completely ignoring Liam.    
  
That, it seemed, was the trend, as Corey exited the back room, and was immediately in Mason’s arms. At least that was cute, though, Liam thought. At least Mason and Corey were lovely together.    
  
“I didn’t know you’d be working right now, or done working!” Mason said.    
  
“I switched shifts.”    
  
“So you’re off now?”   
  
“Yeah.” Corey nodded, taking Mason’s hand, squeezing it. “Got plans?”   
  
“Taking Liam home, but after that, nope. Can I take you to dinner later?”   
  
“Sure can.” Corey smiled, and soon, Mason’s arm was around him, the two of them happily cuddling and whispering together while Mason waited for Liam.    
  
It was gross and adorable all at once, and honestly, Liam didn’t want to interrupt it.    
  
“Hey,” he said. “I actually have to run an errand for my mom, and I’ve got my bike, I meant to text, I forgot,” he lied.    
  
“You’re a shitty, shitty liar,” Mason said.    
  
“Oh fine,” Liam laughed. “You and Corey go hang out, I’ll bike home, I’m getting better at this waking up early thing anyways,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”   
  
“You sure?”   
  
“Yeah.” Liam smiled. “Go enjoy your summer with your boyfriend. He works two jobs. It can’t be very often you get to have days like this.”   
  
“He’s not wrong,” Corey admitted.    
  
“Yeah,” Mason took a long look at Liam, clearly trying to gauge whether or not he really was okay.    
  
“Really,” Liam said.    
  
“Okay.” Mason nodded. “I’ll see you later, Dunbar.” He shot his best friend a wink as he turned, heading out of the shop, his arm still around Corey.    
  
“Gosh, they are  _ so  _ cute!” Tracy said as she sauntered in. “Have they set a date yet?” she asked Liam.    
  
“Not yet,” Liam smiled. “But my guess would be sometime next August.”   
  
“I’ll block the whole month,” Tracy said. “It’s been a long time since one of my friends was in something legit good. Mason’s legit good?”   
  
“He really, really is.” Liam nodded.    
  
“Cool.” Tracy smiled.    
  
“Hey,” Liam took her elbow. “I don’t totally know what it means, but Todd was in today.”   
  
“Oh shit.” Tracy frowned. “Does Theo know?”   
  
“Yeah,” Liam nodded. “Corey told him.”   
  
“Okay.” She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll deal with it. You should probably go. You’re not Theo’s favorite person right now, and I think if he’s got that on his plate, too, he doesn’t need you right now.”   
  
“Got it.” Liam grabbed his things and headed for the door, feeling weirdly glad that, at least Theo was with a friend for his shift, someone who would be able to listen to him, and actually help him through this.    
  
He just wished that he hadn’t been the cause for so much damage. He had had no idea how much shit his actions would stir up, and he knew that it wasn’t all him, of course, but at the same time, he knew that he wasn’t totally innocent in this either. He wished that he could turn back time and not be such a dick.    
  
He wished that he could go back and tell his friends not to joke about Theo’s sister, that it was wrong, and cruel, and that there wasn’t anything funny about what had happened to her. But that was not what he had done. He had been silent, or worse, he had joked about it, and now he had to live with that. He could improve from here on out, but he couldn’t erase the douchey things that he had done back then, and that made him feel sick to his stomach.    
  



	9. Chapter 9

“Hey, sweetie,” Jenna called to Liam as he got home. “Come talk to me?”   
  
“Great,” Liam muttered under his breath. “Coming!”    
  
He headed to the kitchen, following his mother’s voice, and sure enough, there she was, enjoying a cup of tea.   
  
“What’s up?”   
  
“I just wanted to check in,” she said. “You’ve seemed...different the last few days.”   
  
“Oh.” Liam sat down. “Yeah, just...found out some stuff about this guy I work with, and I don’t know.” He sighed. He loved his mother, and he knew that he could trust her, and she was an adult, a real adult. Maybe he should talk to her. “Have you ever done something, and just fully not realized how shitty it was at the time, but you realize it later, and don’t know how to make up for it?”   
  
“I mean,” she shrugged. “Yeah, I’m not perfect. I have regrets, like everyone else.”   
  
“Did that shitty stuff ever hurt someone else?”   
  
“Liam,” she said. “What happened?”   
  
“Was I a dick in high school?” he asked.    
  
“Oh,” she looked taken aback by that. “I don’t really think that I can answer that for you, because I wasn’t in school with you. I mean, you were a teenager. You weren’t the nicest, but you were good for the most part, and we didn’t have any troubles with you, other than the standard teenager stuff…”   
  
“I was a dick in high school,” he corrected.    
  
“Okay, what makes you say that?”   
  
“Do you remember the Raeken girl? Tara? Who died when I was younger?”   
  
“Yeah,” she nodded. “They found her body in the woods, she was hypothermic?”   
  
“Yeah.” Liam sighed. “Well some jerks started a rumor that her brother had killed her. He was in my year, and sort of weird, and you know, kind of “dark” I guess, but…” he shrugged. “I don't know, I guess an easy target for a rumor like that.”   
  
“That’s ridiculous,” Jenna said. “No one can just give someone hypothermia and kill them. Kids are idiots.”   
  
“They are.” Liam sighed. “But the rumor took traction, and like I don’t think anyone actually thought he did it, but they joked about it, they teased him for it-”   
  
“They teased him about his dead sister?” she asked, horrified.    
  
“Yes,” Liam said, miserably. He placed his head between his hands and groaned as the words left his mouth, because he knew what he had done, and he had an idea of what was coming next.    
  
“Liam,” his mother asked, her tone both investigative, and warning at the same time. “Were you a part of this? Did you tease that poor boy about his sister?”   
  
Liam paused, his chest filled with anxiety. He knew that he couldn’t lie to his mom. After all, he had been the one to bring this up, and he was trying to be a better person. Part of being a better person did not include lying to the person that you were talking to. It was kind of a big deal, he knew, and he knew that his mother was not going to be pleased with him, but he had opened this door. He now had to walk through it.    
  
“Sort of,” he said, his tone still conveying the misery and regret that he felt. “I mean, yes. I never started it, but I don’t think that really matters. I laughed about it. Probably more than once, and god, it wasn’t even on my radar. I didn’t even think that it might be hurtful. I didn’t…” he sighed, lifting his head from his hands and raking one through his hair. “I didn’t know he could hear, but I also didn’t think about it. It doesn’t matter if he could or not, it was cruel either way and I just did it because everyone else was.”   
  
“Mason?” His mother asked, surprised.    
  
“Well, no,” Liam sighed. “Not Mason. This was more the other guys on the team and stuff. Mason didn’t always eat with us, and...yeah.”   
  
“Have you apologized? I know it’s been years, but that doesn’t really matter. You can still say that you’re sorry.” Her tone was clearly conveying disappointment, and honestly, Liam didn’t know what felt worse - knowing that he had fucked up, or his mother knowing that he had, yet again, done something bad.    
  
He didn’t want her to stop thinking of him in a positive light, he didn’t want to be that jock that didn’t give a shit about anyone, and he really hoped that that wasn’t going to be his legacy. Was it too late to repair it?   
  
“Not exactly. I was sort of…” he trailed off. “I was reeling when he told me, and then he stormed off.” He didn’t have to mention that he was drunk. That wasn’t a crucial part of it, and he didn’t have to make this any worse for himself than it already was.    
  
At least that was what he was telling himself, because he wasn’t sure that he could handle feeling much worse, and getting a lecture from his mother about drinking too much, especially since he wasn’t 21 yet, would probably make him feel, well, worse.    
  
“Well,” she said. “If you’re going to continue working with him, I suggest you figure out how to apologize.”   
  
“Yeah,” Liam groaned. “I know. Fuck, I know. I just…” he shrugged. “I don’t always know the best way to do stuff like that, you know? I don’t...he hates me, and he doesn’t want to hear what I have to say anyways.”   
  
“Do you want my advice?” Jenna asked, looking at her son. She was serious, he could tell, and he wasn’t sure if there was a right or wrong answer to this question. Should he tell her that he could handle it himself? Would she be proud of him if he did, or would she simply worry that he wasn’t going to do it at all?   
  
“Yes,” he said after a moment, his voice so soft that she could barely hear it.    
  
“Don’t make a big thing of it. Just go in to work, and once you have a minute alone, look him in the eye, and say that you are genuinely sorry for the way that you have behaved in the past, and that it won’t happen again. Dont get flowery with it, and don’t make excuses. Own that what you did was wrong, and leave it be. If he instigates a greater conversation, then you have that with him, but leave the choice up to him. This sounds like a really sensitive subject, and you don’t want him feeling like he has to talk to you about it to make  _ you  _ feel better.”   
  
Liam nodded. He felt his stomach in knots, and he knew that that feeling wouldn’t go away until he had this conversation with Theo, and possibly for quite some time after, depending on how it went. It was all so complicated, and Liam couldn’t remember having to apologize to someone that he didn’t like before. So this was definitely new…   
  
“Look,” Jenna said. “I’m going to say one more thing, okay? I’m not pleased that you behaved like that when you were younger, but I am proud of you for understanding that it was wrong, and knowing that you can’t just sweep it under the rug. It is a testament to how much you have grown, and I know that you’re struggling right now, between the car, and this, and becoming a man, but...you’re my man, and I am so, so proud of you.”    
  
“So,” Liam gulped. “You don’t think that I’m a bad person?”   
  
“No, sweetie, of course not,” she shook her head. “Everyone makes mistakes, and occasionally does a bad thing. Doing a bad thing doesn’t make you a bad person forever especially when you recognize that what you have done is wrong, and you strive to fix it.” She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not a bad person, Liam. You’re still growing into the man you will become, and from where I’m sitting, you’re growing up pretty well.”   
  
“Thank you,” Liam took a deep breath. “I think that I needed to hear that.”   
  
“I think that, at some point in their lives, almost everyone does,” she said with a kind smile.    
  
“Thanks for listening, and helping,” Liam said. “And I’ll do it. I’ll apologize to Theo, and I’ll mean it, and hopefully…” he shrugged. “Hopefully he will see that I mean it, and that I’m trying to do the right thing and get on the right track. It’s just hard.”   
  
“I know.” Jenna nodded. “Being young is hard, knowing the right thing to do is hard, and it’s even harder when everyone around you is doing the wrong thing. But we grow, and we move on, and we learn from our mistakes, and as long as you continue to do that, you’re going to be just fine. You understand?”   
  
“I understand.” Liam nodded, smiling, but only slightly. “I’m really tired, I’m gonna go shower and lie down, and think,” he said.    
  
“That sounds like a wonderful idea to me,” Jenna said.    
  
Liam just nodded, and turned to head upstairs. He still felt strange about all of this, but with his mother’s words of encouragement, and her advice at the forefront of his mind, he was determined to walk into **Banshee** tomorrow and apologize, honestly, and truly, to Theo Raeken.    
  
It wouldn’t be easy, but it was the right thing to do, and Liam was tired of going in the wrong direction. It was time to try and get on even footing with Theo, and this was the best way to start.   
  
***

The next day, he woke up early, largely due to anxiety. He lay in bed, trying to fall back asleep, for over an hour before giving up and starting his day. Liam planned to take his mother’s words to heart and to make sure that he didn’t go overboard with it. It would be so easy, he realized, to put too much into it, and to make it about him, and not Theo, and that wasn’t the point. Yes, he wanted to feel better, and he knew that this would likely help, but at the same time, he genuinely wanted to apologize to Theo, because he genuinely felt terrible for everything that he had done. This wouldn’t right the wrong, and he knew that, but it would be a good way to start.    
  
He got dressed, and scrolled mindlessly through his phone until it was time to leave for work. He took deep breaths as he biked, trying to quell the rising anxiety inside of him, because he knew that he would be no good if he let it take over. At least it wasn’t anger. He knew that feeling well, and he did not plan to let it rule over him.    
  
When he walked in, unlike the day before, Theo was behind the counter, apron tied, and clearly ready to go. There were a couple of customers in the shop, but none at the counter, so Liam headed straight for him, going behind the counter and looking at Theo before even gathering his apron.    
  
“I have something to say to you,” Liam said. “I-”   
  
“Yeah,” Theo gulped. “Corey told me that Todd was in here yesterday, and that he told you about it, and I just would really appreciate it if you would not spread that information around. I would have preferred that Corey not give it to you, but I understand why he felt like he had to, and ultimately I guess it makes sense, but you’re just...not the kind of person I really feel like I can trust with that information.”   
  
“That’s fair,” Liam nodded. “Based on the way that I have treated you, and your misfortunes in the past, I can completely see why you would think that, but I won’t tell anyone, Theo, I promise.” He took a deep breath. “And I’m sorry. Honestly sorry, for the way I behaved in the past. It was wrong, and I know that I hurt you, and I am so, so sorry.”   
  
Theo looked taken aback, his eyes wide as Liam apologized to him.    
  
“Wow,” Theo said. “I actually feel like you might be telling the truth.”   
  
“I am,” Liam said softly. “I understand why you might not believe me, but...yeah. I’m sorry. I’m very, very sorry. And if you want to leave it at that, we can, but if you want to talk about it-”   
  
“Not now,” Theo said. “Maybe not ever. I don’t know.” He paused. “But thank you. For apologizing. I know that’s not always easy. For what it’s worth,” he said softly. “I’m sorry I was a dick.”   
  
“Don’t be,” Liam said. “You had good reason.”   
  
“Go wash up and get your apron on,” Theo said. “We’re gonna have customers any minute”    
  
Liam took that as a sign that, forgiven or not, Theo was ready to move on from this topic, and he didn’t want to upset him. His mother had said to let Theo guide any future conversation about it, and he planned to do exactly that. With a slight smile, he headed to the back. He was still a little nervous to be around Theo, especially knowing everything he knew now, about both Theo’s sister, and Todd, the Dread Doctor. However, he did feel like a weight had been taken off of his chest with his apology. He may not have done his best in the past, but he was doing his best now, and that was all that he could ask of himself.    
  
“Here.”    
  
When Liam came back out to the front, Theo was handing him a mug.   
  
“What’s that?” Liam asked, taking it.    
  
“Spiced Mocha,” Theo said.    
  
“Oh.” Liam smiled, taking a sip. It was warm, and flavorful, and delicious, and he could feel it throughout his whole body. The Raeken special. It was, by far, one of the best coffees that he had ever had, and he was glad that Theo had made him one. “Thank you, I-”   
  
“Don’t make a thing about it,” Theo grumbled, cutting Liam off. “It’s just a cup of coffee.”   
  
“Got it.” Liam nodded, taking another sip before setting it down to help clean the espresso machine.   
  
Maybe Theo had said that it was just a cup of coffee, but to Liam, it honestly felt more like a peace offering, and to him, that meant that they were on the right path. He knew that he wasn’t perfect, but no one was, and this? This was progress.    
  
By the time Mason arrived to pick him up, Liam was feeling a lot better, and he got the feeling that Theo was, too. They didn’t talk much, but they didn’t insult each other, and the work split seemed pretty even. It wasn’t the best working dynamic possible, but it was a hell of a lot better than they had had in the past, and Liam was grateful for that.    
  
Maybe, just maybe, things were starting to look up.    
  



	10. Chapter 10

The trend continued until Friday afternoon. Everything was working out well, and Theo seemed genuinely happy, as did Liam, when, shortly after Theo came back from his lunch, Todd walked in.    
  
Theo noticed first, but with the way he visibly paled, it didn’t take Liam long to follow his gaze and figure out why.    
  
“Theodore,” Todd said, his sickly tone feigning sweetness as he approached. “I can’t believe it.”   
  
“Can’t believe what?” Liam snarled on Theo’s behalf.    
  
“Oh, that you’re still working here. You know that you don’t have to be. You could have had everything, Theo. A nice car, plenty of money in your account, a job that was more suitable…” Todd was addressing Theo, even though it had been Liam that had asked the question.    
  
“I like this job,” Theo said. “You having the usual?”   
  
“You know me so well,” Todd said. “See? It’s a waste that we had to split.”   
  
“That’ll be $3.85,” Theo said, not responding to the question.    
  
Liam noticed that Theo also wasn’t making eye contact with the man, and Liam had never seen Theo like this. All of a sudden, he seemed completely void of all composure and confidence, as though this Dread Doctor of a man had sucked it all out of him.    
  
“Fine.” Todd handed over his card, and Liam watched as Theo stared at it.    
  
“We have a chip reader,” he muttered. “You can just insert it yourself.”    
  
“Hmm.” Todd chuckled as he did so. “I recall you saying similar words to me in our heyday.”   
  
Theo’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing as he put the transaction through. Liam was left to watch awkwardly, as he had no idea what Todd’s “usual” was, and he wished that he could do more to support Theo. After all of the crap that he had pulled in the past, he figured that he owed him that much, but he felt powerless.    
  
“What’s the drink?” Liam said quietly. “I can get started on it?”   
  
“Nah.” Todd shook his head. “I want Theo to make it. He knows what I like, don’t you baby?” Todd winked.    
  
“I’m not your baby,” Theo mumbled, but there was no real fuel behind it.    
  
“Maybe not right now, but you were,” Todd shrugged. “And you will be again. It’s just a matter of time until you get bored of this barista life, and come back to someone who can really take care of you.”   
  
Theo said nothing, but he gently nudged Liam out of the way, going to make the drink. Liam watched him, unable to tear his eyes away. Theo looked so sad, so upset, and so resigned to the fact that this man had power over him. It made Liam’s blood boil, but what could he do? Todd was a customer, and Theo hadn’t refused him service, so Liam didn’t really like he could do it, not now. Especially since Theo was already making the drink.    
  
“You’re looking really good, baby,” Todd said, clearly not taking the many hints of disinterest that Theo was throwing his way. Then again, perhaps that was because they seemed very half hearted.   
  
Liam didn’t know the past, he didn’t know the full story, but he couldn’t understand how Theo could let anyone treat him this way. He knew how solid Theo could be, how tough, and to see him like this? It was like a completely different man. Where Liam had once seen a ferocious wolf, he now saw little more than a kicked puppy, and it was heartbreaking.    
  
“Here.” Theo handed over the drink, and Liam could swear that he winced slightly as their fingers brushed.    
  
Well, that wasn’t a good sign.    
  
“Let me take you to dinner tonight,” Todd said. “Come on, we’ll go to our place, get a nice bottle of wine, see where the night takes us. Like we used to.”   
  
“I’m busy tonight,” Theo said, though he still wasn’t looking at the other man, still not making eye contact.    
  
“So get unbusy,” Todd said. “Come on, what, you got a better offer?” He cocked his head to the side. “Cause I sincerely doubt it.”   
  
“I…” Theo shrugged. “Just busy.”   
  
Todd narrowed his eyes.    
  
“You’re not busy,” he said. “Come on, baby, you have to know that I can tell when you’re lying. You have to know that I know you better than anyone else. I was there for you when everyone else was treating you like shit, and you have to know that no one could ever love you like me. You’re lucky to have me.”   
  
Liam looked at him, feeling his chest constrict. This was disgusting, classic abuse maneuvers, and he wanted to vault across the counter and punch this man square in the nose, but god, he didn’t want to lose this job, and would Theo want that? This wasn’t Liam’s fight.    
  
“I can’t tonight.”   
  
“Saturday, then. I’m on call at the hospital, but I’m sure it will be fine.”   
  
“I’m busy then, too,” Theo said.    
  
Liam noticed Theo’s shoulders visibly relax, and like Todd, he could tell that, this time, Theo was telling the truth.    
  
“Again,” Todd said. “What’s more important? What’s better for you than me?”   
  
“It’s my friend Tracy’s birthday. There’s a party.”   
  
“Okay, so come to dinner with me, and then we’ll go to your friend’s little party.”    
  
“Not this one,” Theo shook his head. “I’m helping set up, and I just can’t, okay?”   
  
“Look,” Todd said. “At some point, I am going to stop offering. I am going to stop coming in here and telling you how bad I want you back. At some point, I will just find someone else, and give them everything that should have been yours. Do you really want that, Theo? Do you really want to give up the only person who could ever love you?”   
  
Theo was silent, and he looked at the ground.    
  
“When you realize how stupid you’re being, call me,” Todd said. “Until then, something to keep you warm.”   
  
Liam watched, Theo’s eyes still cast on the ground, as Todd opened up his wallet and dropped a crisp $100 bill into the tip jar. Liam’s eyes widened, and he looked between Theo and the money as Todd turned, drink in hand, leaving the cafe.    
  
“Theo?” Liam asked, looking at the other man. “Do you want to take a break? I can hold down the fort for a little wh-”   
  
“I just got back from a break,” Theo cut him off.   
  
“I know, but-”   
  
“I’m fine,” Theo said.    
  
“Oh.”    
  
Liam didn’t know what to say to that, because he didn’t really feel as though he were in a place to argue with the other man, but at the same time, he didn’t really think that there was anything at all fine about Theo right now. Still, it wasn’t his right to object. They weren’t friends, and he didn’t know how to help Theo through this.    
  
In the moment, he wished that he could call Corey, but he knew that wasn’t a choice, so he just held his tongue, trying to figure out what to do, and as a result, did nothing at all.    
  
The shift ended, and as soon as Corey was through the door, Theo wordlessly took his apron off and left, saying nothing, even to his friend.    
  
“Oh god.” Corey looked up at Liam. “The Dread Doctor?”   
  
Liam nodded.    
  
“Oh no.” Corey bit his lip. “What happened?”   
  
“He was a real dick,” Liam said. “He came in here talking about how no one was ever going to care about Theo like he did, and tried to get Theo to agree to go to dinner with him, and it wasn’t good. Theo looked so…” Liam paused. “God, I don’t even know how to explain it? He just looked like someone kicked his puppy. Or...that he  _ was _ the puppy that was being kicked.”   
  
“Yeah.” Corey nodded. “I know that look. Fuck, that guy is such a douche.”   
  
“Why is he even allowed to come in here?”   
  
“I asked Theo to tell Kathy to blacklist him, but Theo said he didn’t want to make more trouble, and I respected his wishes, and I still do, but god, I do not think that was the right choice. He’s very self conscious about that sort of thing, I think. I mean, everyone that was supposed to be good to him has backfired, his parents totally fell apart after his sister died, and then everyone at school was a jerk, and then Todd, and...oh fuck.” Corey’s big brown eyes went even bigger, and Liam was frankly surprised such a thing was possible. “You should not have heard that. I should not have told you that!”   
  
“It’s okay,” Liam said quickly. “I won’t tell Theo. Or anyone. I promise.”   
  
Liam was glad that he had apologized to Theo today, but it was really starting to feel as though it was nothing close to enough, and he wished that he had a better platform for assisting this man. But they weren’t friends, and even if he could help, he doubted that Theo would accept his assistance.    
  
“Thanks,” Corey said, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Trust and Theo is a tricky thing, I didn’t mean to break it, and I think he’d kill me if he knew, I just want to help him so much, and he makes it so hard. The second something’s wrong, he just throws this wall up, and no one can break through it. Except apparently the Dread Doctor.”   
  
“Yeah, he seemed really upset.”   
  
“The guy dicked him over. It’s not my place to tell you what went down, but it wasn’t good. He shouldn’t be around Theo.”   
  
“I could tell.” Liam sighed. “Is there anything I can do?”   
  
“Um.” Corey shifted slightly. “It’s kind of a big ask.”   
  
“What is it?”   
  
“Take my shift? So I can go after him? I don’t know that he should be alone right now, and I can call Josh if you don’t want to take the shift, but Josh is working on stuff for his classes right now-”   
  
“Corey, it’s fine,” Liam said. “I can take care of it. Go.”   
  
“Are you sure?”   
  
“Yes.” Liam nodded. “I’ve been dying to be on shift with Tracy anyways.”   
  
“Okay.” Corey took a deep breath. “Yeah, okay. And if you have any questions about closing, I can help you, okay?”    
  
“Does Tracy not-”   
  
“Oh, right.” Corey nodded. “Yeah, she knows how to close - sorry, I’m thinking about Theo.”   
  
“Go,” Liam said again. “I’ll be fine here. Tracy will be here soon, and we’ll take care of everything.”   
  
“Alright.” Corey headed for the door. “Thank you!” he called to Liam as he left, passing Mason on the way, and stopping just long enough to give him a quick peck on the lips before he tore out the door.    
  
“Uh…” Mason walked up to the counter. “So what was that?”   
  
“Theo’s having…” Liam sighed. He couldn’t really tell Mason the truth, but Mason could also absolutely always tell when he was holding something back. “Just a personal emergency, and Corey’s going to help him, so I’m working until close.”   
  
“Oh shit,” Mason said. “I hope everything’s okay, I’ll text him and see if I can do anything to help.” He pulled out his phone, thumbs flying over the keyboard as he fired off a text to his boyfriend. “And what about you? Are you gonna be good? That’s a long shift.”   
  
“It’ll be fine,” Liam said. “I’ll get another break, so I’ll be okay. And a little overtime is not going to hurt with the car payments that I owe my mom, so…”   
  
“Fair enough.” Mason nodded. “I can bring you dinner, grab take out? Burrito?”   
  
“Yeah, I mean, that would be fantastic,” Liam admitted. “If you really don’t mind, I would love that.”   
  
“I got you,” Mason said with a smile.    
  
“You always do,” Liam sighed. He knew that he was going to be dead tired at the end of this shift, but while he didn’t owe Corey anything (that he knew of), he owed Theo, and if Corey could help Theo right now, then it was worth it.    
  
It had to be, because he had done nothing earlier, and he still felt like shit for that. The bad feelings that he had had earlier due to nerves about apologizing had been temporarily alleviated, and then replaced with bad feelings of Theo in relation to Todd, and he felt helpless.    
  
“You’re a good dude, you know that?” Mason said.    
  
“I’m trying to be.”    
  
“Well, as far as I can tell, you’re doing a great job. Anyways, come on, coffee for your best friend who’s gonna bring you dinner?”   
  
“Yeah.” Liam nodded. “You got it. Whatever you want, it’s on the house.”   
  
“Better be,” Mason teased.    
  
Liam was relieved with Mason’s ability to lighten the mood, and his ability to seemingly always know when it was needed. Liam had never expected that working at a coffee and tea shop would be so fucking intense, and full of drama, but at least he didn’t have to face it alone, and thankfully, neither did Theo.    
  
He made Mason his coffee, and watched his best friend leave as Tracy arrived. He would figure out how to make everything work, and if he didn’t? Well, he would make it through today, and that would be good. Tomorrow he would deal with what came next.   
  
Of course, by the time “tomorrow” actually rolled around, Liam found himself with that sinking feeling in his stomach again. What was work going to be like today? He hadn’t heard from Corey at all last night, and why would he? He didn’t know how Theo was doing, and he knew that he didn’t really have a leg to stand on in terms of caring, but he did, and he was worried that Theo would be upset, or embarrassed about everything, and that work would be tense and challenging.    
  
At the very least, he hoped that he could try and provide friendly support to the man, but he wasn’t sure if it would actually wind up meaning anything, since as far as he knew, he and Theo were not exactly close to patching things up.    
  
Though the spiced mocha had been a step in the right direction. Then again, that had been before Liam had witnessed Todd walking all over Theo, so that wasn’t ideal, either.    
  
He skipped breakfast, feeling a little too anxious to eat, and wound up getting to work about 15 minutes early.    
  
“Oh, hey,” Kathy smiled brightly at him from behind the counter. “I don’t see you much - you beat Theo in!”   
  
“Oh, huh, I guess I did.” Liam paused. “I wanted to thank you again for the opportunity. I needed a job, and this is really helpful. I’m learning a lot.”   
  
“Good.” She smiled. “From what Theodore tells me, you’re quite the quick study.”   
  
“Wait, he said that?” Liam asked, his eyes widening in surprise. He was pretty sure that Theo had never said anything nice to his face, so he assumed he didn’t exactly say kind things behind his back, but this? This was truly surprising, and honestly, he was glad to hear it. He wanted Theo to like him, or at least not to hate him.    
  
Though, he figured Theo had probably told Kathy that before everything at the party, and yesterday, so maybe Theo didn’t feel positive towards Liam anymore, but it was promising that, at one point, he had. Even if it was just a little bit.    
  
“He did.” Kathy smiled.    
  
“Well, he’s a good teacher,” Liam said. He knew that the words were lame before they left his mouth, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he just shrugged. “Well, I can suit up so that you can get on out of here, if you want!”   
  
“That would be great,” she said. “Gotta do payroll today, so that you can get your paycheck on time!”   
  
“Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting on that,” Liam said with a grin.   
  
Kathy chuckled, and Liam headed to the back to fetch his apron. He had only just moved behind the counter to take over for Kathy when Theo came in. Theo stopped, looking surprised to see Liam already there.    
  
“You’re never here early,” Theo said.    
  
“Hey, there’s a first time for everything,” Liam shrugged.    
  
“What?” Theo narrowed his eyes. “Did you think that I would be so bent out of shape over Todd that I wouldn’t make it in on time?”   
  
“What?” Liam wasn’t sure how this had turned sour, but with Theo, that was pretty par for the course, it seemed. There was resentment there, and now that Liam knew why, he understood it, but that did not mean that he had to like it. “No, not at all, I just woke up early, and didn’t feel like puttering around the house for 15 more minutes, so I thought I would just come here and get started.”   
  
“Oh.” Theo paused, then nodded. “Okay, yeah, I get that. 15 minutes isn’t a whole lot of time to do anything.”   
  
“No, it’s not.” Liam agreed, but god, this felt stunted, and the small talk was not his favorite moment with Theo so far.    
  
He didn’t know, though, what his favorite moment with Theo  _ was _ , since none of them had been particularly pleasant.    
  
He said nothing else as Theo headed into the back to clock in and get ready to start his day, and he had just finished making an Americano for one of their regulars when Theo came back out.    
  
“Look,” Theo said. “Snapping at you just now - that was not cool, and I’m sorry.” He opened his mouth as though he were about to say more, but closed it after a few seconds, clearly deciding better of it.    
  
Liam, not feeling up to pushing Theo right now, or probably every again, just nodded.    
  
“It’s okay. Early mornings make everyone crotchety.”   
  
“You can say that again.”   
  
“Okay.” Liam nodded. “Early mornings make everyone crotchety.”   
  
Theo’s lips twitched into a smile, and a faint laugh escaped him, surprising Liam greatly.    
  
“You’re really annoying, you know that?” Theo asked.    
  
Liam shrugged, though he was sure that he could almost hear a hint of endearment in Theo’s tone. It must have been his pre-caffeine brain making things up, though, because Theo Raeken would never intentionally compliment him, even if it was just in the tone of his voice.    
  
“Aw, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Liam teased. Maybe they could ride this playful banter into a pleasant shift after all.    
  
“Don’t get used to it,” Theo said, that ghost of a smile still on his lips as he began to make a cup of coffee for himself.   
  
And just like that, the tension released from Liam’s chest, and gave way to a fairly standard first part of their shift. They had fallen into a decent rhythm, taking turns on the register and making the drinks - Theo taking over if someone ordered something complicated, and Liam doing his best to follow along.   
  
“So,” Theo turned to look at Liam as the first part of their daily lull began. “I guess I should thank you for yesterday. For covering Corey’s shift. That must have been a really long day for you, and I-”   
  
“Hey, don’t mention it,” Liam said with a shrug. “I need the money, so.”   
  
“You need the money?” Theo asked, raising an eyebrow. “Your dad works at the hospital, doesn’t he? I’ve seen the car your folks drive.”   
  
“Stepdad,” Liam corrected, though at this point, David was very much more his father than his biological dad ever had been. “And it’s sort of that car exactly that put me here.”   
  
“Oh?” Theo raised his eyebrow, correctly sensing that there was a story here, and one that he did not want to miss.    
  
“Yeah,” Liam sighed. “I sort of crashed my mom’s car at the very beginning of the summer,” he admitted. “And, well, she decided it was time I learned to own my actions, so here I am. Paying it off.”   
  
“Ahh.” Theo nodded. “So what, reckless driving? DUI?”   
  
“No, no.” Liam shook his head. “Texting and driving. Close to as dumb as it gets, you know? I always thought it couldn’t happen to me, and then, boom. Literally.”   
  
“Did...did anyone get hurt?” Theo asked. His tone was cautious, as though he wasn’t sure that he should ask that, but also, he was boiling over with curiosity.    
  
“I mean, I got a few cuts and scrapes, had that wrist brace for a bit, but no. I didn’t hit another car, thankfully. Just a tree.”   
  
“Poor tree,” Theo said with a very fake, and very long suffering sigh.    
  
“You’re a dick,” Liam said, though just like with Theo’s earlier insult, there was a fondness to it.    
  
“Yeah,” Theo shrugged. “So I’ve been told.”   
  
“Yup,” Liam looked around. “Well, that’s how I ended up here, you know, finally learning to be a responsible adult.”   
  
“Hey, at least you’re learning. Some never do. I had sort of written you off as one of those, but hey,” he shrugged again. “I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. Now make yourself useful and clean the steamer.”   
  
Liam didn’t have to be told twice, and he turned his attention towards the milk steamer, but he couldn’t help the feeling creeping into his mind - were he and Theo becoming friends? No, a couple of banter exchanges did not make best friends, and he knew that, but at least it was getting better. At least he didn’t feel like such garbage now, and that had to be a good thing.    
  
He just hoped that it would last for the rest of the summer.    
  



	11. Chapter 11

The weekend came, and saw to Tracy’s birthday party. Liam could only remember bits and pieces - namely Tracy yelling “SHOTS O’CLOCK!” every hour, on the hour, and heavily encouraging that everyone participate. He also remembered Corey and Mason rounding dangerously close to third base up against the wall after several hours had passed.    
  
When Liam woke up Sunday morning, he was surprised to find himself on the floor, and even more surprised that it was not his *own* floor. Looking around the room told him that it also was not Mason’s, and he frowned.    
  
“Good morning, sunshine.”   
  
“Ugh,” Liam groaned, wondering how the hell Mason’s voice was so cheery. “Where the fuck am I?”   
  
“Corey’s place,” Mason said, as though Liam should easily have known that.    
  
“Why the fuck am I at Corey’s place?” Liam asked.    
  
“Well, we were going to split an Uber, you to your place, and me and Corey here, but your phone was dead, and we were all too drunk to remember your address, so…”   
  
“Ah.” Liam nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” He rubbed his eyes, and got a better look around the room.   
  
It was less a room, and more a studio, it turned out. There was a bed in one corner, and a loveseat, too small for someone, even someone of Liam’s height, to sleep on. There was a card table with a few chairs, a fridge, a small stove and kitchen area, and a door to what he presumed was the bathroom. Corey was at the stove frying eggs, and Mason was seated at the table, looking down at Liam with a hungover, but not dead yet, sort of smile.    
  
“Oh god,” Liam groaned. “You guys didn’t...not while I was in the room, right?”   
  
“Oh god no.” Mason shook his head. “For one thing, ew, and for another, well,” he shrugged. “Whiskey dick.”   
  
“So you  _ tried _ ?!”   
  
“I would never,” Mason said in a tone that told Liam that, yeah, he absolutely would, if the circumstances were dire enough.    
  
“Asshole,” Liam muttered.    
  
“Just for that, you have to get your own coffee.” Mason punctuated his statement by taking a hefty sip from his own mug, clearly an attempt (and a successful one at that) to piss Liam off.   
  
“Eggs are just about done,” Corey said. “Mase, can you grab the toast from the toaster?”   
  
“Yeah, babe.” Mason nodded, and got up, grabbing toast, and throwing a couple more slices of bread into it.    
  
The apartment was small, and clearly on the lower end of the price market in Beacon Hills, and Liam was surprised by how at home Mason looked here.    
  
By how at home he looked with *Corey*.   
  
“Seriously,” Liam grumbled. “How are you two upright right now?”   
  
“We drank lots of water,” Mason said. “I mean, I’m still feeling rough, don’t get me wrong, but…”   
  
“Why didn’t anyone make me drink water?” Liam whined.    
  
“Well, I tried,” Mason said. “But when I handed you a bottle of water, you slapped it out of my hand and said - and I quote ‘I’m not a fish, bitch, do you see any gills? I don’t need that splashy nonsense,’ and proceeded to take another shot.”   
  
“Oh no.” Liam grimaced. “Tequila Liam is a disaster.”   
  
“He most certainly is,” Mason said with a fond smile.    
  
“I have got to get less dumb about my drinking,” Liam muttered to himself as he managed to drag himself up, and then to the counter to get coffee. Finally, he made it to the table, where he slumped into a chair just as Corey put a plate in front of him.    
  
“Eat up, buttercup,” Corey said.    
  
“How are you so cheery?” Liam asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as he stared at the other man. “Do you know something about the universe that I don’t?”   
  
“What the fuck?” Mason burst out laughing. “Bro, are you still drunk?”   
  
“Honestly, I might be,” Liam nodded. “Just a little bit.”   
  
“Fair enough,” Mason said.    
  
“Yeah, Tracy likes a good party, I probably should have warned you to come prepared, her birthday is usually the most drunken night of the year amongst the  **Banshtea** crowd.”   
  
“How long have you been working there?” Liam asked, doing his level best to take a bite of food.    
  
“Since high school,” Corey said. “Full time right after graduation.”   
  
“Damn,” Liam mutterd. “And the camp?”   
  
“I just do that during the summers,” Corey replied. “The rest of the year, I work front desk at the community center, usually on weekends, and nights, and then I have your shift, actually, during the rest of the year.”   
  
“Oh,” Liam said stupidly. “So you usually work with Theo?”   
  
“Yup.” He nodded.    
  
“And who works with Tracy?”   
  
“Josh Diaz,” Corey said. “But he’s taking a bunch of classes this summer to try and get ahead with his education, so he took this summer off, hence, you.”   
  
“As riveting as it is, listening to you both discuss your work schedules,” Mason stated. “Can we not? My head is killing me.”   
  
“Oh god, sorry babe.” Corey leaned in, dropping a kiss on Mason’s head. “I’m sorry. You look so good, I forgot you were still hurting.”   
  
“That’s okay.” Mason reached out, taking Corey’s hand and squeezing it.    
  
Liam didn’t really know if he should be here. It felt like he was looking in on something that he shouldn’t be looking in on. He was doing his best to get through his breakfast, but this felt like Corey and Mason, and not like Liam, and being here felt intrusive, even though he was pretty sure that neither of them would ever tell him to get out, especially not in his current state.    
  
He did his best to tune them out, not because he didn’t like them, or support them as a couple, but because his stomach was already feeling pretty tender, and as a couple, they were sort of nauseating.    
  
“I think I’m gonna head out,” Liam said after a bit.   
  
“Oh, I can drive you,” Mason offered.    
  
“No, no, I think I’m gonna walk actually, I’m pretty sure if I get in a car right now it will be iffy, and I could use the fresh air to, you know, recuperate.”   
  
“You sure?” Mason asked.    
  
“Yeah.” Liam nodded.    
  
“Okay, well call me if you get halfway and can’t make it any further. I’ll come get you. And mock you, but I’ll definitely come get you.”   
  
“Thank you,” Liam said with a smile before pulling himself up from the table. “Thanks for breakfast, Corey, I’ll see you at work.”   
  
“Sure thing!” Corey nodded, and turned his attention back to Mason, who really did seem to be the apple of his eye.    
  
The fresh air hit Liam hard, but in a good way, and he let out a hefty sigh as he began walking. It didn’t take him long before he realized that his phone was still dead from the night before, so he was stuck with his own thoughts for the 45 minute walk from Corey’s apartment to his own place.    
  
He was displeased with how many of those thoughts managed to wind back to Theo. Of course, it was all because he was still feeling bad from the bullying, and of course the thing with Todd as well, but that was it. He didn’t know how he cared about Theo, or even if he really did, but at the same time, it was confusing to think about him this much at all.    
  
He told himself that it was just what was on his mind of late, and that this was normal, but even in his hungover state, he wasn’t sure if it was. At least it wasn’t normal for him. Then again, Liam had spent the majority of his life being largely selfish, and not thinking much about people other than him. He was just doing his best, or so he had thought.    
  
Now he was sort of realizing that his best, or at least what he had considered his best in the past, was probably not at all good enough, and he needed to figure out how to do better. The world wasn’t Liam-centeric, he wasn’t the sun, and it was damn well time he realized it.    
  
“Where the  _ hell _ have you been?!”    
  
“Oh shit.” Liam’s eyes widened when he walked into the house to see his mother waiting for him, arms folded across her chest.    
  
“Yeah, ‘oh shit’ is right! I have been calling you since I woke up this morning and realized you never came home!”   
  
“I crashed at Mason’s,” he said, not feeling up to explaining the whole ‘Corey’s floor’ situation. “My phone died, I forgot to charge it, I wasn’t thinking, I’m sorry.”   
  
“I’m…” she sighed. “God, Liam, you are having a weird summer. I don’t...but this is probably normal, isn’t it? You’re an adult. You are in control of your own life, I’m…” she paused. “Am I holding on too hard?”   
  
“What?”    
  
Liam was definitely too hung over for this conversation, and he wasn’t sure how to get out of it without admitting that. His mother was clearly having a moment, and he didn’t know how to keep that from happening right now, while at the same time, putting her at ease. He got the feeling that she wanted to have one of their talks, about how he was growing up, and she probably wanted to know how things had gone with his apology to Theo, because they hadn’t talked about that yet, but he didn’t know what to do. Right now, his head was spinning, and he was pretty sure if he tried to have this talk, he would end up putting his foot in his mouth more than he usually did...and that was saying something.    
  
“Sorry, sorry,” she sighed. “I’ve been struggling with the fact that you’re growing up, I guess. But you’re not a little boy anymore, and I know this, I’ve  _ known _ this, but I really saw it for the first time the other day, when you came to me and talked about what you’d done wrong with that other boy, and I just…” she paused. “It got the ball rolling in my mind, and I’m trying to figure out if I’m ready for that, ready for you to be a grown up, and I know that I have to be, but it’s tricky, because you’re my only kid, and…” she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders, and looking at Liam in a way that he could only really describe as helpless.    
  
It was strange for him to see his mother this way, and he didn’t know how to respond to her. He had never been a parent, he didn’t know what any of this felt like, but he was doing his best to try and track what she was saying. Would this be easier if he weren’t hungover? He wasn’t sure, it might be just as confusing.    
  
“Mom, it’s okay,” he said. “You’re doing great with me, okay? You’re doing great.” What else was he supposed to say? That she was a failure and needed to loosen her vice grip? She had never been overbearing, so there was no pretense for that.   
  
“Okay.” She nodded. “I’m sorry, it’s just tough, you know? Knowing when to pull back and let you do things yourself, and when to try and still be your mom.”   
  
“Hey,” Liam looked at her. “No matter what, you’re always gonna be my mom, okay?”   
  
Liam could swear that his mother was starting to tear up a little as he said that, but it was the truth, and if hearing it would make her feel better than he was dead set on doing that. He cared so much about her, he loved her, and he knew that he had not always made things easy on her...in fact, he knew that it had frequently been the opposite. He wasn’t the easiest of children, and he knew that he wasn’t going to be the easiest of adults, but at least he could try.    
  
She had taught him that he could grow, and she was encouraging him to, and letting him.    
  
“Thank you for saying that,” she said with a smile. “Now go, go upstairs, you look hungover to hell and back and I don’t want to torture you anymore.”   
  
“You knew?” Liam looked shocked.    
  
“Sweetie, there are just some things that I am always going to know.” She laughed. “Now go get some rest, you have work on Monday, after all.”   
  
“I know.”   
  
And at least now, work wasn’t a total sore subject for him. It wasn’t easy, that was for sure, and working with Theo was still confusing, and not without its ups and downs, but at least there were ups now, when previously, it had been downs, downs, and very little else.    


***   
  
“I’m surprised you’re upright,” Theo mused as Liam walked in to work on Monday morning.    
  
“Huh?”   
  
“Oh, last I saw you? At Tracy’s party? You looked like you were gonna be hungover for several days.”   
  
“Nope,” Liam grinned. “Just one. I bounce back fast.”   
  
“Clearly.”   
  
Was Theo impressed? Liam couldn’t quite tell, but he definitely got the feeling that he might be. Did they talk at the party? Liam didn’t remember everything, and he was pretty sure that was a good thing, based on what Mason had said. Tequila drunk Liam was not always the most calm, and it definitely led to some things he didn’t want to be remembered for, but if he couldn’t erase other people’s memories of his embarrassments, at least he could erase his own.    
  
Which, in retrospect, was probably not a healthy way of handling things.   
  
“Regardless, I’m back. I’m here, I’m fine, let’s work.” Liam tied his apron on and smiled at Theo, who didn’t smile back, but didn’t glare, so progress!   
  
“You want a mocha?”   
  
“Spiced?” Liam asked hopefully.    
  
“Sure,” Theo said with a laugh.    
  
“Yes, please.”   
  
Theo got to work on Liam’s drink, Liam took over tidying the register area, and it felt good. It felt comfortable, and Liam was shocked by that. If you had asked him, a month ago, if he would have ever felt comfortable with working with Theo Raeken, he would have said a resounding “hell no” and that would have been that. He would never have guessed that they could have this kind of working relationship, and it felt good, honestly. It wasn’t a point of dread any longer, but Liam also knew that there was still so much that he didn’t know about Theo, and that he would have to face probably never knowing.    
  
They were getting along, but Theo didn’t seem open to being friends, and quite honestly, Liam wasn’t really sure that he wanted that, either. It was just nice having someone else in his life that he could be comfortable with, especially since they had to be around each other for hours and hours at a time.   


Monday was, in fact, the first day where the entire shift went by without Liam feeling grumpy or upset. He didn’t fuck up any of the drinks, and he didn’t get into it with Theo. No demons from either of their pasts snuck up on them, and frankly, Liam was glad for that. He was glad that they had one day that just felt good.    
  
He was feeling good going into work on Tuesday, and it started off well, but just before his break, the bell over the door rang, and The Dread Doctor himself walked in.    
  
“Hi, welcome to  **Banshee** , what can I get for you?” Liam asked, his tone terse as he attempted to block Theo from having to take this man’s order.    
  
“You can let Theo take over,” Todd said. “You know that’s what I come here for.”   
  
“ _ He _ ,” Liam corrected.   
  
“Excuse me?”   
  
“He’s not a “that”, he’s a “he”.” Liam said. “A person? You know, alive, breathing, with his own thoughts and feelings?”   
  
“Liam,” Theo reached out, putting a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “I can take his order.”   
  
“But-”   
  
“ _ Liam… _ ” Theo’s tone was warning, and Liam knew better than to get in the way of that, but at the same time, he wanted to.    
  
Liam wanted to fling himself between Theo and Todd. He wanted to vault across the counter and punch the guy so hard he wouldn’t remember Theo had ever been a part of his life. He wanted to cause him enough pain that he would stay the fuck away from Theo forever, because it wasn’t fair, the way that he could just waltz in here and ruin Theo’s day, his week. Then again, Liam wasn’t sure what Theo felt on the inside.   
  
“Hi, Theodore,” Todd said with a smile.    
  
“What can I get you?”   
  
“A date,” Todd said. “You see, I’m getting an award Friday night, and I would really love it if you would accompany me to the banquet. It’s a whole to do, really embarrassing, you know?” Todd laughed, and it was clear to Liam that he was nowhere near embarrassed.    
  
He was bragging, gloating, and god, why couldn’t this fucker just leave him the hell alone? Theo didn’t deserve this, and frankly, Liam didn’t feel like he deserved to have to be around this pompous asshole, either.   
  
“No,” Theo said. His voice was quiet, and his tone was lacking any sort of resolution.   
  
There was a weakness to Theo right now, the same one that Liam had seen the last time that Todd had been here, and honestly, Liam felt as though Theo was only a few moments from breaking, and he didn’t want to see that happen.    
  
“Come on,” Todd said, leaning in towards him. “I’ll buy you a new suit, we’ll get a limo, make a real night of it. I’ll treat you like a king. I always did, you know.”   
  
Theo took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, and it almost looked like he had something to say to that, but he didn’t do it. Maybe because he was at work and he didn’t want to start something, or maybe, Liam wondered, because he physically couldn’t, because Todd had some terrible power over him that he couldn’t escape.    
  
“So come on, Theodore, what do you say?” He tilted his head to the side. “Be my date? Make me look good in front of all of my coworkers? Give me something beautiful to look at while I accept my award?”   
  
“He can’t,” Liam snarled.    
  
“Oh?” Todd looked to Liam. “I don’t believe I was addressing you. As far as I know, this is between me and Theodore. It’s none of your business.”   
  
“Yeah, I mean, maybe it’s mostly between you two, but you  _ are _ asking my boyfriend out, so I think that it actually is my business. See, I don’t like it. I try not to be jealous, but come on. Hitting on my guy right in front of me? I’ve tried to be cool about it, but you’re really,  _ really _ pushing my buttons.”   
  
Liam was glad that Todd was looking at him, and not Theo, because the look of shock on Theo’s face would have been noticeable, and possibly given away the play.    
  
“Excuse me?” Todd asked, raising one eyebrow impossibly high. The guy was skinny, but honestly, still intimidating.    
  
“You heard me,” Liam said, standing his ground. At 5’6”, Liam was at least half a foot shorter than Todd, but it wasn’t about height. It was about standing up to this fucking monster, and he wasn’t going to let this keep going. Todd was preying on Theo, and if Theo couldn’t put a stop to it himself, well, Liam could do it in a way that, hopefully, didn’t step on the other man’s toes too much.    
  
“I’m just shocked, I mean,” Todd laughed. “I can’t imagine going from Moet to Coor’s Light.”   
  
“Wow,” Liam laughed. “That’s real mature.”   
  
“Seriously?” Todd turned his attention back to Theo.   
  
“What?” Theo asked.    
  
“Him?”   
  
“Yeah,” Theo nodded. “Him.”   
  
“Why? Why on Earth would you be with that short gutter rat when you could be with me?”   
  
“Maybe because I treat him well,” Liam said, walking over to Theo and slinging an arm around him. “Now, can we get you a coffee, or did you just come in here to flirt with my man?”   
  
“I…” For once, Todd seemed to be at a loss for words, and Liam couldn’t help but feel a little smug about this. “You’re making a mistake,” Todd said, jabbing a finger in Theo’s face. “And when you realize what trash he is, and want me back, see if I’m there.”   
  
“Oh, I don’t anticipate that being an issue!” Liam called after Todd as the man turned to leave. “I keep him very satisfied.”   
  
He kept his arm around Theo until he was sure that Todd was out of eyesight, and when he pulled it back, Theo turned to him, stunned.    
  
“What the hell was that?” Theo asked.    
  
“As long as you were available, he wasn’t gonna stop,” Liam said. “And I mean, I don’t know, he still might not, but at least now you have something you can tell him when he asks you to spend time with him. You can say that you’re with me. And it’s not like I’m a total slouch, right?”   
  
“No, I just…” Theo bit his lip. “I don’t...I don’t know. Thank you, I guess? I’m sorry, I’m processing.”   
  
“Take your time,” Liam said. “In fact, take my break, okay? We can switch today. You go breathe, I’ll hold down the fort.”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“Okay, thank you.”   
  
Theo still looked a little dazed as he headed to the back to sit down, but Liam? He felt smug with triumph. The look on Todd’s face as Liam’s words had sunk in had been absolutely priceless, and he felt like this was a win for Theo, even if it was a small one. Theo deserved a win, and Liam owed him, and if he could get those two birds with one stone, well why wouldn’t he do that? He was still sure that he had a lot to make up for, but this was a start.   
  
He was changing, he was learning to be less selfish, and helping to protect Theo at his own work place was just a small part of that.    
  
“Hey,” Theo caught Liam’s attention as their shift was coming to a close. “Thanks for that - earlier with Todd, I mean. I know I wasn’t properly grateful, because I was thrown, with Todd and all, but that...it was a good idea, and I never would have thought of it myself. Pretending to have someone else, that’s...it’s smart. I mean, it might make him jealous, which might be bad, but honestly, it was bad already, so. Thank you.”   
  
“Don’t mention it,” Liam said. “It was fun to see the smug look on his face drop.”   
  
“Yeah,” Theo smiled, but it was slight. “It really was. Well, see you tomorrow?”   
  
“Yeah.” Liam nodded. “See you tomorrow.”   
  
But it wasn’t in the cards for things to get better for Theo, apparently, and by Wednesday morning, there were reports everywhere. A young girl, Sarah Becker, just 8 years old, had gone missing, and with Beacon Hills being a fairly small town, the news spread like wildfire.    
  
When Liam got into work, it was Josh Diaz behind the counter, and not Theo.    
  
“Where’s-”   
  
“Don’t.” Josh shook his head.   
  
“What?” Liam frowned.    
  
“Seriously?” He asked. “You don’t get how this is on your fucking friends? They’re the ones-”   
  
“Josh,” he said. “What’s going on?”   
  
“That girl that went missing? The Becker girl?”   
  
“Yeah…”   
  
“Well, it’s not too far off what happened to Theo’s sister, and someone called in the tip line and gave Theo’s name,” he snarled. “So he got brought in for questioning.”   
  
“WHAT?!” Liam’s eyes widened.    
  
“Oh don’t act so surprised. I mean, I guess I believe that it wasn’t you, but your friends? Your little LAX Bros? You know they’re behind this. Bored over the summer, and they always thought it was funny to call him a murderer in high school, so it’s not exactly a leap to assume that they’re the ones crying wolf on him now.”   
  
“That’s...that’s awful.” Liam felt his stomach lurch at that, and god, he hated that Josh was probably right. It probably was those same kids that would do this.    
  
“Yeah, it fucking is,” Josh said. “Especially since we both know he had absolutely nothing to do with Tara’s death, and he had  _ nothing _ to do with the disappearance of this girl, either. It’s fucked up, and honestly, looking at you right now makes me sick.”   
  
“That’s…” Liam nodded. “Yeah, that’s fair. So he’s, what, been arrested?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Josh admitted. “Brought in for questioning, at the very least.”   
  
“Then they’ll know,” Liam said. “They’ll know he didn’t do it.”   
  
“Oh, cause our justice system is totally perfect,” Josh rolled his eyes.    
  
“But he’s innocent. I mean, they don’t even know if someone hurt her! She could have run off, she-”   
  
“Will you shut up?” Josh asked. “He wouldn’t even  _ be _ in this position if you and your dumb friends hadn’t thought it was funny to mock his dead sister in high school, and sure, you may be nice now or whatever, but that doesn’t undo all the bullshit from the past, so I really don’t want to hear about how bad you feel about this. Just shut up and make coffee.”   
  
“Okay.”    
  
Liam felt cowed, but Josh sort of had a point, and honestly, he didn’t know Josh. He didn’t feel like arguing with him, especially since he could tell that Josh was just trying to stand up for Theo. If this was Mason, Liam knew that he would be feeling the exact same way, and he wasn’t about to tell Josh what to think or say.    
  
Instead, he kept his head down, and got through the work day, though he couldn’t stop thinking about Theo. Yesterday with Todd, and now this today? Even if they did realize quickly that he wasn’t at fault for this, it would still hurt, he was sure. There was no way that he was going to be feeling alright, and the second that Corey showed up for work, Liam practically grabbed him and dragged him into the back.    
  
“Theo?” he asked.    
  
“He’s okay,” Corey said. “They asked him some questions, but it was pretty clear instantly that this was a prank, and that he had nothing to do with anything.”   
  
“Where is he?” Liam asked.    
  
“What?”   
  
“Where does Theo live?”   
  
“I...I don’t know if I should tell you that, and I mean, I don’t know if he wants company anyways. This isn’t a good time for him.”   
  
“Corey,” Liam said. “Look, if he tells me to fuck off, I will. I just want to...this is partially my fault. It wasn’t me that called in, but it was definitely people that I used to be friends with, and I just need him to know that it wasn’t me.”   
  
“This isn’t about you,” Corey said.    
  
“I know, god, that’s not how I meant it. I just...Todd was in here yesterday, being a jerk, and I just want to make sure that he’s not falling back into old habits because he’s in pain.”   
  
“Yeah, he told me about Todd.” Corey bit his lip. “Okay, well he’s...here.” He texted Theo’s address to Liam. “No promises that he’ll be there, but you can check, or whatever. And just, if you find him, if he needs anything, will you talk to me?”   
  
“I’ll text you.” Liam nodded.    
  
“Okay. Or, I mean, you could cover me...I can go,” Corey said.    
  
“I don’t know how to explain this,” Liam said softly. “But I need him to hear this from me, and I know that’s selfish, and if he’s a wreck, I will come in and switch you out, okay?”   
  
“I get it.” Corey nodded. “Or, I don’t, but...I don’t know.” Corey shrugged. “Maybe I do.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“He told me. That you told Todd that you were his boyfriend, to protect him.”   
  
“So?” Liam asked. “What does that have to do with anything?”   
  
“Uh, oh.” Corey shrugged. “Nothing, I guess. I thought maybe you…never mind.”   
  
Liam desperately wanted to ask, but now was clearly not the time, and he couldn’t waste it. He wanted to find Theo, he  _ had _ to find Theo, because everything was so exponentially fucked up right now, and he didn’t like the idea of him being alone through all of this.    
  
“Okay,” Liam nodded. “I’ll text you later, okay?”   
  
“Alright.” Corey nodded. “Liam?”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“Just...do the right thing, okay? I know Theo acts so tough, but he’s been through so much. Too much. This isn’t fair. He needs kindness.”   
  
“I know,” Liam said softly. “I know.”   
  
“I believe you.” Corey bit his lip. “Yeah, I...I believe you.”   
  
“Thank you.”   
  
Liam knew that it was probably difficult for Corey to say that, and that it probably had plenty to do with him being Mason’s best friend, but whatever it was, he would take it. He couldn’t really explain the feelings that he was having, why he was so convinced that  _ he _ needed to get to Theo, but he did.   
  
“I need you to drive me somewhere,” Liam said, practically breathless as Mason walked in. “Like, now.”   
  
“Can I say hi to my boyfriend first?” Mason asked, one eyebrow raised, clearly unaware of what was going on.   
  
“Uh, sure, but it’s important.”    
  
Mason looked at Liam for a moment before clearly realizing that this was important to his best friend. He knew Liam well - well enough to know when Liam was fucking with him and when he was being serious, and right now, it seemed like he was being very, very serious. If he said that something was wrong, then something was wrong. Possibly very wrong.    
  
“Okay.” Mason nodded. “I’ll be quick.”   
  
Liam began pacing by the door as he watched Mason give Corey a quick kiss. They exchanged a few words, and then Mason was back at his side.    
  
“Okay, let’s rocket.”   
  
“Thank you.” Liam tossed his bike in the back of Mason’s car, and they got going.    
  
“So,” Mason asked as he drove. “You gonna tell me what’s going on?”   
  
“Theo got taken in for questioning about the missing girl,” Liam said. “Some idiots from high school thought it would be funny to call in a tip that he had something to do with it, you know, because of all of the rumors about his sister, and the shit that got made up then, and they let him go, but...I don’t know. I feel like I need to find him, to talk to him, so that’s his address, we’re going there.”   
  
“Okay.” Mason nodded.    
  
“And you can just drop me off, I can bike home.”   
  
“Okay.”   
  
“Thank you for understanding,” Liam said.    
  
“I mean, I don’t know that I do,” Mason admitted.    
  
“What do you mean?”   
  
“Your...thing with Theo, I don’t know. It’s always been weird, but now it’s weirder.” Mason didn’t look at Liam, keeping his eyes focused on the road, but it was clear that he was choosing his words carefully.    
  
“What do you mean?” Liam asked again.    
  
“I don’t really know how to explain it,” Mason said. “You’re not obsessed with him, that’s not the right term, but there’s just...he’s always bothered you more than other people, and you’ve always just  _ reacted _ to him really strongly. He pushes your buttons in a way that other people really don’t seem to be able to, and now that you’re fixing things, I don’t know. It seems like you’re reacting to him just as strongly, but in a different way.”   
  
“In what way?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Mason admitted. “I think only you can really decide that one.”   
  
“Oh.” Liam slumped back into the seat. “But if you had to guess?”   
  
“I really don’t know,” Mason said. “I mean, you care about him, that much is clear, but you are the only person who can say  _ how _ .”   
  
“I don’t think my brain can process that right now,” Liam said. “There’s too much going on.”   
  
“Fair enough.” Mason pulled into an apartment complex parking lot. “You sure you want me to leave?”   
  
“Yeah. Just let me get my bike. I need to do this by myself.”   
  
“Understood,” Mason said. “Call if you need anything?”   
  
“Always.”    
  
He pulled his bike out of the trunk and found a tree to lock it to before taking the steps two at a time to get to Theo’s door.   
  
He was on the third floor of the apartment complex, so Liam was out of breath by the time he got to the door, but that didn’t stop him from pounding on it right away. There was no answer, and he looked around for a doorbell, but didn’t find one. He took a beat, not wanting to be too annoying, as he knocked again, and again, and again, but there was nothing.    
  
After about 20 minutes, resigned to the fact that Theo wasn’t going to answer the door, Liam headed back to get his bike. However, as he looked around the parking lot, he realized that Theo’s truck wasn’t actually there. He had been so worked up when he had arrived that he hadn’t thought to check for Theo’s automobile, and he had just spent 20 minutes pounding on the door of someone who wasn’t even home.    
  
He sighed, and sat down on the curb, figuring he could wait a while, see if Theo came home, but he couldn’t deny that he was worried. What if Theo was with Todd? What if he had fallen back into that vice grip because he was so upset and confused, and felt so alone? What if he was doing something even worse? Liam didn’t know him very well, but he knew that he did care, and Mason’s words were ringing in his head. It had always been  _ something _ with him and Theo, and maybe later he would be able to think about what that really meant, but right now? Right now he was just stuck thinking about himself, and how worried he was that Theo was out there, somewhere, and he didn’t know where.    
  
Finally, he took his phone out, texting Corey.    
  
**He’s not at his apartment. His car isn’t here. Do you know where else he might be?** **  
**

With Corey working, Liam knew that it might be awhile before he got a reply, so he just sat there. It was summer, so it wasn’t getting dark, or cold, really, but he felt a shiver run up his spine from time to time, due more to the stress of the situation than anything else.    
  
It was over an hour before his phone buzzed with a text from Corey.    
  
**_I tried calling him. He’s not picking up. There are a couple of places he might be, but they’re his places, I don’t know if I should tell you._ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** **Corey, please. PLEASE.**   
  
Liam didn’t know how to convey, or even explain his desperation. He knew that he could go back to  **Banshee** and switch Corey out, let the other man go find Theo and deal with this, but Liam was desperate to prove to Theo that he wasn’t that  _ guy _ anymore, the one who would laugh at his problems with his friends. He wanted to show that he was better now, that he was different, that he wasn’t going to let him go through this alone. He wanted to prove that Theo could trust him, and sure, this wasn’t about him, he knew that, but at the same time, he was still Liam. He was still selfish to a degree, but he wouldn’t make this entirely about himself. If he found Theo, and Theo wanted Corey, he would make that happen.    
  
**I don’t know how to explain it, Corey, but I have to try.** **  
** **  
** Liam stared at his phone, watching the grey dots that symbolized Corey’s typing appear, and disappear multiple times before, finally, a message popped up on his screen.    
  
**_There’s a bridge in the preserve, over the creek where they found Tara. He goes there sometimes when he wants to feel close to her. I don’t know if he’s there, but it’s a possibility. Everything today probably brought up a lot of those feelings._ ** **_  
_ ** **_  
_ ** **THANK YOU.**   
  
Liam was familiar with the preserve. He had used to run through it all the time when he was in high school, working up his cardio and what not for Lacrosse, so he was sure that he would have no problem finding Theo if he was there. He knew the bridge in question, or at least he was pretty sure he did, and with one goal in mind, he unchained his bike from the tree.    
  
Liam wasn’t sure that he had ever gone so fast on two wheels before, and he didn’t stop once he reached the edge of the preserve. Theo’s truck was parked just by the woodline, and Liam knew from that that Corey was right. Theo *had* to be here.    
  
His bike wasn’t exactly a mountain bike, but it would be faster than running, and most of the paths in the preserve were good enough. He kept pedaling, his eye on the prize, his heart racing.    
  
After a few minutes, he heard a tire pop, and he managed to stop the bike just before it crashed, the tire fully blown out. He assessed it quickly, realizing that he wouldn’t be able to fix it right now, and he just left it. He threw it to the side of the path. He would come back for it later and hope that it was still there.   
  
He took off at a run, working up quite the sweat as he ran through the California sun. It was evening by this point, but it wasn’t cooling down much just yet, and he passed more people than he would have liked on his way to the bridge. He ran quickly past all of them, not caring if he was being rude. He had to find Theo, and that was that.    
  
He wasn’t exactly dressed for a run - he was wearing his work slacks and a plain shirt, and sneakers, yes, but not running shoes. Still, they did the job, and finally, after what felt like hours and hours, Liam reached the bridge.    
  
Sure enough, Theo was sitting on the edge of it. His legs were dangling underneath the railing, and he was resting his arms on it, looking down at the water.    
  



	12. Chapter 12

“Theo,” Liam said, completely out of breath as he walked towards him.    
  
Theo’s head snapped up, and he looked at Liam in surprise. It was instantly clear that he had been crying. His eyes were red, and the area around them swollen and puffy, and Liam couldn’t blame him. He had no idea what this felt like, not really, and he was lucky in that respect.    
  
“What...what are you doing here, Liam?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Liam admitted. “I just, I heard about everything and I had to find you.”   
  
“How’d you know-” he paused. “Corey.”   
  
“Yeah.” Liam nodded.   
  
“That boy does not know how to keep a secret,” Theo said softly.    
  
“In his defense, he did waffle on it. I forced it out of him.”   
  
“Why?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Liam said again. “I didn’t feel okay leaving you here like this, all on your own?”   
  
“Oh.” Theo’s expression was unreadable, and Liam didn’t know what to make of it.    
  
“Can I sit?” he asked.    
  
“I guess.”   
  
Liam nodded, and moved to sit with Theo. He slid his legs under the railing as well, letting them dangle above the water.    
  
“Do you want to talk?” Liam asked.    
  
“No.” Theo shook his head.    
  
“Okay.” Liam fell silent.    
  
It wasn’t exactly easy for Liam to sit in silence like this, when there were so many things that he wanted to say and questions that he wanted to ask, but he knew that he had to respect what Theo was saying. He quickly, and very discreetly, sent a text to Corey to let him know that he had found the other man, and that he was safe, and then he silenced his phone to make sure that it wouldn’t be bothering them.    
  
Liam alternated between looking at Theo, and looking at anything  _ but _ Theo, and it was a challenge. He wanted to do something, something real to aid this man, and he didn’t really know how sitting here in silence was helping. But everyone was different, and he couldn’t even begin to know what Theo was thinking, so being here with him like this? Doing what Theo asked? He knew that was the best course of action. When Liam was in pain, he always went to Mason, he always talked it out, but he knew that had come from years of Mason proving that he was there for him time and time again, and refusing to let him fall away. He knew that not everyone had that, and he was pretty sure that Theo didn’t have it.    
  
It seemed like there was a lot that Theo hadn’t had, and Liam had always known that, in a lot of ways, he was lucky, but this was next level.   
  
It didn’t dawn on him just how long they had been sitting there until he noticed the sun going down, and darkness, speckled by moonlight and stars, began to take over.    
  
“It’s nice out here,” Theo said softly, looking up at the sky. “Almost no light pollution at all. That’s so rare these days, I feel like.”   
  
“Yeah,” Liam gulped. Were they talking now, or was this just one thing that Theo was saying, and that would be that?    
  
“This was where they found her,” Theo said softly, his gaze going back down to the water. “Just frozen to death, hypothermic. If it hadn’t been one of the coldest days of the year, it wouldn’t have been so bad, she wouldn’t have…” he trailed off, and Liam could tell that he was choked up. “But it was, and she did.”   
  
“I’m so sorry, Theo,” Liam said softly.    
  
“I don’t really want your pity,” Theo said. “I know that’s...harsh, but it’s true. I’ve gotten so much of that, and it doesn’t really help anything.”   
  
“What do you need?”   
  
Theo paused, thinking for a moment, before shrugging.    
  
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t think anyone’s really asked me that before, you know?”   
  
“Do you want to talk about her?” Liam asked.    
  
“I didn’t kill her,” Theo said.    
  
“Oh, my god, I know, I meant, like...talk about your memories of her and stuff.”   
  
“Oh.” Theo bit his lip. “Sorry, after today it’s just sort of a gut reaction. Someone actually believed enough that I was a murderous asshole that they brought me in, and I...I don’t know. Maybe they were joking, but it wasn’t funny. It never was.”   
  
“I know.” Liam felt like crying, but he knew that he had to hold that back, because Josh was right, Corey was right, this wasn’t about him, and he needed to hold on to that, to know that he should just shut up and listen right now.    
  
“I couldn’t have done it,” Theo said. “Even if I wanted to. Tara, I mean.”   
  
“Theo…”   
  
“I was sick.” Theo gulped.    
  
“What?” Liam frowned.    
  
“I was really sick. I was in and out of the hospital that year, and I wouldn’t have had the strength to.”   
  
“I didn’t know that,” Liam said softly.    
  
“Few people did,” Theo shrugged. “I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, even then, even young, I didn’t want one more thing that made me the “weird” kid, and my parents respected that. The night she died, I was in the hospital. My parents were with me, they didn’t know she didn’t come home because they were with me.”   
  
“That…” Liam gulped.    
  
“I didn’t kill her,” Theo said softly. “But it might be my fault that she died.”   
  
Liam didn’t speak right away. He let those words, that information sink in, and he took a deep breath.    
  
“It’s not your fault that she died,” he said. “Even if your parents had been home, it...it’s not your fault, okay? It’s just not.”   
  
“Maybe.” Theo shrugged. “It’s one of those things, you know? We’ll just never know.”   
  
Liam knew that he couldn’t argue with that. Sure, the universe did things the wrong way sometimes, but there was no way that you could spin this that would make it Theo’s fault in Liam’s mind. At the same time, he was also not sure that saying that over and over again would actually be helpful.    
  
“I had a bad heart,” Theo said. “And then she was dead, and-”   
  
“Theo,” Liam said softly. “You don’t have a bad heart! This wasn’t your fault!”   
  
“No, Liam.” Theo gulped. “Literally. I had a bad heart. It didn’t work properly. That’s why I was in the hospital.”   
  
“Oh.” Liam looked down. He had completely misunderstood that, and frankly, he had not seen that one coming. At all.    
  
“Yeah,” Theo said softly.    
  
“And now?” Liam asked. “Your heart, I mean? It’s okay?”   
  
“No.” Theo shook his head. “ _ My _ heart was never gonna get me past middle school. But her heart was good.” He gulped. “When they pulled her out of the creek, the cold, it preserved her organs,  _ everything _ . Her heart was still good. It still is, I guess.” He reached up, wiping his eyes. “It was still good.”   
  
“Oh my god.” Liam gulped. “You…” he trailed off.    
  
“Yeah.” Theo nodded. “I have her heart.”   
  
“Oh wow.”   
  
Theo didn’t say anything else, he just looked down at the water, and Liam didn’t push it, partially because he didn’t want to force Theo to talk about something that he wasn’t ready to talk about, and partially because he wasn’t sure that he had fully processed that yet. He wasn’t sure how it was possible that there was just so, so much that he hadn’t known about the other man, and so much that he still didn’t know.   
  
Everyone had been so cruel to Theo, and yeah, maybe he had been sort of a weird kid, but that didn’t excuse it, and then there was just so much there, so much that the man had been through, and god, Liam wasn’t sure how he handled all of it. Liam felt like he was going crazy just trying to figure out how to be an adult, and Theo was going through all of this?   
  
“She always said that she’d give me her heart if she could,” he said softly after several minutes. “She would come visit me when I was sick, and she would say things like that, but she knew she couldn’t, and I don’t think she wanted it like this. I know she didn’t want me to die, but God, how fucked up is that? She died, and my parents had like, very little time to decide if they wanted to put their dead daughter’s heart into their dying son. And most of the time I’m glad they did, but sometimes…” he trailed off. “Wow, sorry, you did not come here for this.”   
  
“No, it’s okay,” Liam said softly. “Say anything you want to. I’m not...I can listen. I’m here to listen.”   
  
“It’s just hard, you know? It was harder then, and I didn’t tell people, because god, how much worse would it have been if everyone thought I had benefited from her dying? They already joked that I was a murderer, that would have given them “motive” or whatever, and god, I just...it was so much. And my parents, I know they tried, but I think it was hard to look at me, knowing that it had sort of come down to one child or the other, and I was the one that made it, and I don’t know. She was always so full of life, and so  _ good _ , and I was fine, but I wasn’t her.”   
  
Liam didn’t know Theo’s parents, so he couldn’t speak to what they had thought, but he couldn’t imagine that they had resented him for that. Was it all in Theo’s head? Could Liam blame him if it was?   
  
“And I was so angry. I was angry that the world had taken her away from me, because she never called me weird, and she always loved me no matter what, and then she was gone, and I didn’t understand, and I still don’t, and god, it doesn’t make any sense. I’m sorry that I’m putting this all on you, it’s just with today, and that girl going missing…” he looked over at Liam. “I’m not happy that I got pulled in for questioning, but I just...there are people out there who love her, and who care for her, and I don’t want them to have to find her body, and have their whole lives altered and changed and ruined because someone wonderful was taken from them too soon.”   
  
“They’ll find her,” Liam said softly.    
  
“And if they don’t?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Liam admitted.    
  
It was hard to be comforting when he didn’t have any of the answers. He wanted to put his arms around Theo, to tell him that everything was going to be alright, but sometimes things weren’t alright, and this sort of seemed like one of those times where not everything was going to tidy itself up nicely. There was so much pain in Theo, and Liam didn’t know how to make any of it go away.    
  
“I just don’t want things to turn out like that again. I don’t know her, but it doesn’t really matter, does it? I know the experience. Well, sort of. We didn’t know Tara was missing until they found her, but...I know what it’s like to have someone you love right there, and thinking they’ll always be there, and then just like that, they’re gone.”   
  
“I know.” Liam gulped. “It’s not the same, but my dad took off when I was a kid, and it’s not the same,” he said again. “I know it isn’t, but that concept of having someone you love that you think will always be there, and then all of a sudden they’re gone forever, and you don’t know why, they’re just...not there anymore. It hurts.”   
  
“Doesn’t really ever seem to stop hurting,” Theo said.    
  
“No,” Liam admitted. “I guess it doesn’t. Maybe it gets easier, but it doesn’t really ever go away.”   
  
“I wouldn’t want it to,” Theo admitted. “I think for a long time, I did. I tried to chase the pain away, that’s how I got involved with Todd, I was trying to chase away how I felt, and he was charming, and kind, and he told me it wasn’t my fault, and that I was beautiful in spite of my transplant scar, and he would say how much he loved me, and how no one could ever love me as much as he did…” he sighed. “I needed to think that someone loved me *that* much, you know? And I was too young to realize it wasn’t healthy, that it wasn’t the right kind of love. He was *there*, and he told me things that I wanted to believe, so I did, and I let him in, and I let him fuck me up even more. Hell, I don’t even know if I realized he was doing it until he…” he trailed off. “He got really possessive, and I started to notice, and I brought it up, and he decked me, and it was like that brought me out of it? Like all it took was that one hit for everything to snap into focus, how much he was isolating me, suffocating me, trying to make me into something that he and only he could have, and god, I was so lucky that I was able to go. He apologized, but it didn’t matter, the glass was shattered, you know? And I knew. I knew that he wouldn’t have done that to me if he  _ actually _ loved me, and I…” he looked back at the water. “I’m alive because Tara isn’t, and I couldn’t waste that with someone who wanted to turn me into, god, I don’t know. A fucking sex doll or whatever.”   
  
“You’re brave,” Liam said.    
  
“I’m not.”   
  
“You are,” Liam insisted. “Getting yourself out of a situation like that, and with everything else…”   
  
“It is what it is,” Theo said.    
  
“No,” Liam shook his head. “It’s what you made it. You saw yourself in a bad situation, and you got yourself out of it, because you’re strong, and you’re brave, Theo.”   
  
“I don’t feel brave,” Theo said. “I cave every single time he comes around.”   
  
“I mean, that makes sense,” Liam said. “He had so much power over you for a long time. That sort of stuff doesn’t just go away, I don’t think.”    
  
“It just gets hard to fight him off sometimes, he is such a good liar, he’s so convincing. Sometimes it’s almost easy to believe that he is sorry, that he never meant to hurt me, and that he really does want me back for the right reasons. I know that he doesn’t, but no one else wants me, either, and sometimes I wonder if maybe being with him is better than being alone.”   
  
“But you’re not alone,” Liam said. “You’ve got Josh, and Corey, and Tracy, they all care about you so much, and…and you’ve got me. I know we’re not like close or anything, but I’m here right now, and I’m with you, I’m listening to you, and I’m not that kid that I was, stupid, and hurtful. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m here for you, Theo.”   
  
“You feel guilty,” Theo said. “Don’t confuse that for care.”   
  
“I’m not,” Liam said.    
  
At least he didn’t think that he was…   
  
“How can you be sure of that, though?” Theo asked. “I mean, you do feel guilty, right?”   
  
“Well, yes, but-”   
  
“There you go.”   
  
“I was talking to Mason today,” Liam said. “And he said that there had always been something weird with you, for me. And he was right, I think.”   
  
“Liam, what the fuck are you talking about?”   
  
“I don’t know,” Liam admitted for what felt like the millionth time today. “I don’t always know how to explain stuff, but I...I don’t think that the idea to tell Todd that I was your boyfriend came from nowhere, you know? I don’t think it was just a new thought that popped into my head. I think maybe I had, at least subconsciously, thought about it before, or...something related to it.”   
  
“You’re not making a lot of sense.”   
  
“Yeah…” Liam sighed. “I was afraid of that.”   
  
“Do you have a crush on me?” Theo asked, one eyebrow raised.    
  
“I... “ Liam paused, letting out another deep sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe.”   
  
“Oh.” Theo was surprised by that. “Okay.”   
  
“Okay?”   
  
“Yeah. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to say to “I don’t know if I have a crush on you,” and frankly, I don’t think that I have the bandwidth to process it right now.”   
  
“That is more than fair,” Liam said quickly, because honestly, he sort of felt the same.   
  
“Do you want to have sex?”   
  
“ _ What _ ?” Liam asked.    
  
“I feel like crap,” Theo said. “And I just don’t think I can feel all of this anymore, and you’re here, and you may or may not like me, and I just...I need to get out of this headspace.”   
  
Liam wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Did he want to have sex with Theo? Now that Theo mentioned it, well, yeah, he kind of did, but it wasn’t exactly the proposition of the century. “I’m sad and you’re here” wasn’t exactly the most inviting phrase ever, but also, Liam understood it. He knew what it was like to be hurting, and to want that to stop, and not to feel like you had any control over it, but sex? With Liam? That was something that Theo had control over, and honestly, Liam wasn’t opposed.    
  
“Oh.” Liam bit his lip, then nodded. “Yeah, okay. We’ll have to go to your place, though,” he said quickly. “Because I still live with my parents.”   
  
“How do you know that I don’t?” Theo challenged.    
  
“Um, I went by your apartment earlier,” Liam admitted. “Corey told me…”   
  
“Ah.” Theo nodded. “I should have known.”   
  
Liam watched as Theo stood up, brushing himself off. He didn’t seem happy, he still looked wrecked to hell and back, and Liam wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, or something he would wind up regretting, but regardless, he got up, following Theo.    
  
“Oh, shit, my bike.”   
  
“We can put it in my truck.”   
  
“No, I mean, sure, maybe, but I popped the tire biking to you, and I just...left it on the side of the path,” he admitted. “I don’t even know if it’s still there.”   
  
“You just...left your bike?”   
  
“It’s going to sound crazy, but I  _ had _ to get to you,” Liam said softly.    
  
“You’re right,” Theo sighed. “That  _ does _ sound crazy, but…” he shrugged. “I don’t know. I appreciate it, I guess. I don’t think I really realized how much I needed to say all of those things until you were letting me say them.”   
  
“It’s hard to talk about things that are, well, hard,” Liam said with a shrug.    
  
“Eloquent,” Theo said, but there was no real teasing to his tone, so Liam decided not to rib him back.    
  
It was sort of an awkward walk, leaving the bridge and heading for Theo’s car. They were off to go have sex, but there was no sense of love, or emotional attachment, or even really desire in Liam right now. Yes, Theo was hot, and Mason was right, there was something fucky about the way that he felt for the other man, but this hadn’t felt like any of the sexual encounters that he had had in the past, and he didn’t know how he ultimately felt about that.    
  
“That it?”   
  
“Huh?” Liam was pulled from his thoughts by Theo’s words.   
  
“Your bike.”   
  
“Oh.” Liam looked to the side of the path, and sure enough, his discarded bike, busted tire and all, was still there. “Yeah, it is.” He smiled, picking it up. “Wow, I was sort of sure someone would have taken it.”   
  
“Maybe it’s karma.” Theo shrugged. “You rushed to help me, your bike was spared.”   
  
“After everything you’ve been through, are you gonna tell me that you really believe in karma?” Liam asked skeptically.    
  
“Well, no,” Theo said. “I guess not.”   
  
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Liam put his bike on the path and started to push it, though it was slow going with the busted wheel. “You don’t really seem like the kind of guy who would be all gung ho for the karma wagon.”   
  
“Yeah, I’m really not,” Theo said with a laugh, but Liam could tell that it was forced, and he didn’t blame him.    
  
There was so much going on inside the other man right now that Liam was honestly shocked he was functioning on any level, let alone able to communicate those feelings.    
  
Liam knew what it was like to be in pain. His own experience, of course, was not on par with Theo’s, and he knew that, but at the same time, he still knew what it was like to feel terrible, like your world was crashing down around you. He had felt it the first time when his father had left, and again when he had realized that the man was never coming back. He had also felt it to some degree when his first real relationship had ended, leaving him heartbroken and without his first love.   


Trying to find something that would properly distract him had been difficult, and that was something challenging about Theo, that was what he was trying to do right now. Apparently the distraction that he needed was sex with Liam.   
  
They didn’t say much else as they made their way to where Theo’s truck was parked, but Theo opened the back for his bike, and Liam got in the passenger’s seat. He wondered if Theo could hear the way that his heart was thumping, and honestly, he hoped that he couldn’t. He was nervous, and he wasn’t sure if it was because he was excited to have sex with Theo, or because he wasn’t sure that they should be doing this at all. Coping mechanisms were a blurry line, and Liam wanted to make sure that he didn’t do anything that he couldn’t take back. That  _ they _ couldn’t take back.   
  
Theo was a focused driver, and Liam was appreciative of that, because he wasn’t sure that he could have focused on driving at all right now. There were so many things going on in his mind, and maybe right now it was easier for Theo to focus on the road than it was for him to try and engage with those thoughts. Liam couldn’t blame him for that one after all, there seemed to be so much pressure on the other man, and it would be a lot to cave under.    
  
Silently, Theo parked the car, helped Liam get his bike out of the back, and chain it to the same tree that Liam had chained it to when he had been at the apartment complex earlier. Then, still wordlessly, he led the way up to his apartment, unlocking it, and holding the door open for Liam.    
  
Inside, it was fairly sparse. It was an open plan studio, so Liam could see everything, and he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be looking around, but he couldn’t help it. The bed was little more than a mattress on the floor - not even a box spring holding it up. There was no table for eating but there was a sofa and what looked like a bedside table that Liam suspected Theo used for eating. There was a fridge, and an old looking oven and stove, as well as a microwave and a coffee maker, but as far as Liam could see, that was it for appliances. There was a laptop sitting on the bed, but no TV, and some books strewn about, but no bookshelves. There was a dresser with one drawer open, and a t-shirt hanging out over it. There were also some clothes on the floor, but not too many, and as far as Liam could tell, an old Ikea bag in the corner served as his clothes hamper. There was a closed door to the right that Liam suspected was the bathroom, but other than that, the walls were bare, and there wasn’t really anything that signified that anyone of any personality lived here.    
  
“I didn’t clean up,” Theo said. “I wasn’t exactly expecting company. I don’t really have people over that often.”   
  
“It’s fine,” Liam said quickly. “My room can get a lot worse.” And that was true, partially because he had a great deal more  _ stuff _ than Theo did, unless Theo was managing to hide it all somewhere else.   
  
“So,” Theo shrugged, looking around. “Do you want a beer or something?”   
  
“Uh, sure.” Liam nodded, not really sure that they should add drinking into all of this, but he was feeling nervous, and maybe that would help.    
  
Theo went to the fridge, opening it, then making a funny face before closing it again.    
  
“There is no beer. Sorry. I thought there was.”   
  
“Oh, that’s fine.” Liam shrugged.    
  
“You can sit on the couch if you want,” Theo said.   
  
“Okay.” Liam nodded, doing as Theo said and sitting down on the couch. It was deceptively comfortable, and he sank into it in a pleasant way.   
  
Soon, Theo joined him, and Liam could feel his weight beside him. He took a deep breath, turning his head to look at Theo. Pretty much as soon as he did, Theo moved in, kissing him. It wasn’t a slow, romantic kiss, but one full of hunger, desperation, and aggression. It was challenging to deal with that, to process it, because it was a  _ good _ kiss, but for a first kiss, Liam wasn’t sure how it tracked.    
  
He kissed Theo back, however, and allowed Theo to ease him down on the couch. Liam’s head rested comfortably against the arm of the sofa, and Theo’s weight on top of him felt good. Theo kept himself propped up so that he wasn’t crushing Liam as he continued to kiss him in that same, aggressive manner.    
  
Were the circumstances different, honestly, Liam might have loved this. Theo was taking charge, and he clearly knew what he was doing - both things that greatly appealed to Liam, if he was being honest, but something still didn't feel right about it. It was hard to explain, but even though it felt good, there was something nagging at Liam, and as Theo moved his hand, slipping it up underneath Liam's t-shirt, Liam reached out, putting both hands on Theo's chest, and gently pushing up to signal to Theo to stop. 

"Wait, wait," he looked up into Theo's eyes - and god, what color were they? He let himself get lost in them, but just for a moment. 

"What?" Theo asked. "Are you okay? Is everything okay?"

"Um," Liam sighed, because honestly, he didn't really know how to explain his. "No, I mean, I'm okay, I just am not so sure that  _ this _ is okay, what we're doing."

"Oh." Theo rolled off of Liam instantly. "God, I didn't want to pressure you, I mean-"

"No, no, no," Liam shook his head. "God, it's not that at all, I promise," he said softly. "It's just more that, well..." he bit his lip. "I don't know, you're upset, and you're trying to escape, and I sort of feel like I'm taking advantage of you, and I sort of feel like I don't really want to do this, even though I also sort of do." Liam paused, sitting up and smoothing his hair and shirt as he did so. "God, did that make sense?"

"Yeah." Theo nodded. "I think so." He took a deep breath, raking his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to stop feeling for a little while, or to feel something different, but you're right, this is...not the way to do it."

"I get it," Liam said. "I used to get really, really angry, to avoid what I was actually feeling. I would pick fights with people because I was mad that my dad left, and I would, you know, just generally handle it poorly." He looked down at the ground. "I would get to a point where I felt so terrible, and so useless and unlovable because he left that I couldn't feel that anymore, so I would just channel it into rage." He paused. "I think if I had been older, I might have done the same thing you're doing. Sex can be a great way to forget yourself for awhile."

"Yeah." Theo looked over at Liam. "I never knew that stuff about your dad, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Liam said. "I've worked through it, I'm okay now, and this? This is about you."

"Sometimes, conversations can go both ways, you know.” 

"Yeah." Liam raked a hand through his hair. "I just feel selfish, trying to talk about my stuff when it's such a hard day for you."

"I think I've said all that I can say today."

Liam looked over at Theo, and for the first time, he noticed just how exhausted the other man looked. There was something sad about it, honestly. He looked so tired, so spent, and Liam wanted to help, but he didn't know how. 

"Have you eaten?" Liam asked. 

"What?"

"Have you eaten today, I mean, we were out at the creek for hours..."

"Oh," Theo frowned. "No, I guess I haven't."

"Okay. I'm gonna order a pizza."

"I'm not really hungry."

"Good thing pizza keeps."

"Fair enough."

Liam pulled out his phone, opening up the website for a local pizza parlor. 

"What do you want on your half?"

"Whatever," Theo shrugged. 

"They do half and half," Liam said. "I can get what I want  _ and _ you can get what you want."

"Okay, uh...pepperoni."

"Okay." Liam punched in the order for a half pepperoni, half sausage and olive pizza, and added in Theo's address, before leaning back on the couch. "Do you want me to go?" he asked.

"Um." Theo paused, his brow furrowed, and it looked like he was really, really thinking about that. "I don't think so. I mean, you can go if you want, I'm not gonna like, go up to the roof and hurl myself off of it or anything, but..." he shrugged. "I don't know. Some company would be nice."

"I'll stay," Liam said softly. "Just let me call my mom and let her know where I am, she freaked out on me the other day for staying out all night, and-"

"You don't have to stay the night, Liam."

"No, I just meant, I mean...I didn’t come home for dinner, it might be the same situation."

"Oh. Okay."

Liam got up and stepped out into the hallway. He called his mother, telling her that he was at a friends' house, and he didn't know quite when he would be home - after all, he didn't want to give her a specific window, and then not meet it. She thanked him for calling, and he went back inside. 

"Okay, so that's...done."

"Okay."

"So..."

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" Theo asked, tilting his head to the side. 

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Okay." Theo got up from the couch and got the laptop from the bed, setting it on the small table. He opened up Netflix. "Play whatever you want."

"Uh..." Liam looked at him. "That's kind of a lot of pressure."

"It's fine," Theo said. "It's not like I'm going to judge you."

"You sure about that?" Liam asked, one eyebrow raised. "Even if I picked  _ My Little Pony _ ?"

"Well," Theo cracked a weak smile. "Maybe if you picked  _ My Little Pony _ ."

"I knew there had to be a line somewhere," Liam said with a smile. 

"Just put on something mindless, something I can ignore."

"If you're going to ignore it-"

"I mean, not fully ignore it, just tune in and out."

"Okay." Liam nodded, scrolling through a little before selecting a baking show. It wouldn't have been his top choice, but it was relaxing enough, he was pretty sure, that Theo wouldn't feel stressed by it, and at least it didn't really have a plot line that could be considered triggering to either of them.

That was a major thing that Liam wanted to avoid right now - making this day even worse for Theo than it already was, because he was already struggling, and honestly, Liam was exhausted enough as it was. He couldn't imagine how spent Theo must be feeling right now. 

It was a little awkward, leaning back against Theo's couch with him and sort of watching TV. He understood what Theo meant about having on something that he could ignore, because honestly, he sort of felt like that was exactly what he was doing. His eyes were on the screen, almost mesmerized by the way the contestants were kneading their dough to make bread, but in his brain, he was thinking up ways in which he could help Theo, or talk to him. He was also going through everything that Theo had said about his sister, and everything else, because god, that man had really been through the ringer. 

He didn't deserve everything that had happened to him, and yet here he was, still suffering, years and years later, for something that had only been painful for him. And Todd was there, trying to take advantage of him? Liam had to figure out how to stop that, too. 

When the pizza arrived, it was a little easier to not feel the awkwardness, because while Theo might not have been hungry yet, Liam was starving. He dug into his half of the pizza, laying waste to all four slices in one episode, and looking over, noticing that Theo had barely taken a bite before setting his first slice back in the box. 

"Do you want me to put this in the fridge?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Theo nodded. 

Liam grabbed the box and carried to the fridge, placing it inside the sparse appliance. He didn't know what else to do here, but at the same time, he didn't think that he could just leave. 

When he made his way back to the couch, however, only moments later, Theo had shifted a little, and his eyes were closed. Liam didn't sit back down, he merely watched him, trying to gauge if he was asleep or not, and after a few minutes, yeah, it seemed that he was. Liam looked around, and grabbed the blanket from the bed, putting it over Theo, and closing the laptop. He headed for the door, and turned off the light as he left. 

He hoped that Theo would sleep through the night, and that he would feel better when he woke up, but he knew that he would understand if he didn't. 

He didn't realize until he was back out at his bike, though, that the tire was still blown, and he had no way home. With a sigh, he sat down on the curb, and called Mason. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for his best friend to come to the rescue.

"So you've been with Theo all afternoon? All night?"

"Yeah," Liam nodded, leaning against the car seat, yawning. It was late, and he was exhausted. 

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Mason asked. 

"I guess, some stuff. Most of it I can't tell you cause it's personal to Theo, but I don't know. We...talked. A lot. Or he talked, I listened. I think I know him better now." 

"Better's good," Mason said encouragingly. 

"We almost had sex."

Mason almost crashed the car. 

"You  _ what _ ?" he asked. 

"He talked, and talked, and then he didn't want to talk anymore, so he asked if I wanted to have sex, and initially I said yes, but then it didn't feel right, so we stopped after making out a little."

"So you made out with Theo Raeken."

"Yup."

"Okay, what was that like?"

"Confusing," Liam admitted. 

"How so?"

"Because it felt wrong, you know, because of the timing and stuff, but also he's a really awesome kisser."

"So you would potentially maybe be open to totally kissing him again?"

"Yeah." Liam sighed. 

"I knew it!" Mason grinned. "I knew it. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. You two are totally enemies to lovers."

"In English, please?"

"You know, the classic trope? Enemies to lovers? I've been wondering about it for a little while now, because you're both all weirdly obsessed with each other and stuff?" He tilted his head to the side. "But you know, I wasn't sure. Now I'm totally sure."

"I'm not.” 

"Eh, fair." Mason shrugged. "Just go at your own pace or whatever."

"Yeah, we'll see. I mean, he's in a weird place right now, and I'm going back to school in like, a month, so even if we did, there's...it's just not a good idea."

"I'm going back to school in a month, too, and Corey and I are staying together," Mason challenged. 

"Well, that's different. You two have spent all summer getting all close and in love and stuff."

"This is true," Mason nodded, pulling into Liam's driveway. "Do you wanna talk about this more?"

"Honestly?" Liam sighed. "I'm exhausted and brain dead, and I have no idea what to say, I think I'm just gonna go to bed."

"Also fair." Mason smiled. "Call me if you need me?"

"I always do." Liam got out of the car, forgetting his busted bike in Mason's trunk, and headed to his room, yawning. 

He was asleep before he even hit the mattress.   
  



	13. Chapter 13

When Liam’s alarm went off the next morning, he hadn’t had nearly enough sleep, but he would take what he could get. He yawned, rubbing his eyes as he headed for the shower. Just as he was finishing changing, there was a knock on the door. 

"Liam?" Liam's mom's voice carried through the door.

"One sec!" Liam finished pulling the shirt over his head, and opened the door, brushing his still-wet hair from his eyes. "Hey."

"Your friend is here."

"What?" Liam frowned. "Friend?"

"Yeah, Theo?"

"Theo's  _ here _ ?" Liam asked, shocked. 

"Yeah."

"Fuck."

"Language!”

"Sorry, I just...wasn't expecting him, that's all." Liam looked around. "Just...I'll be right down, okay? Tell him I'll be right down."

"Okay." Jenna looked confused, but backed away, heading downstairs. 

Liam grabbed a pair of socks and tugged them on his feet, his shoes following. He pulled a comb through his hair and checked himself in the mirror before heading downstairs himself. 

Sure enough, there was Theo Raeken, sitting at his kitchen table, with a  _ Beacon Hills Memorial _ mug full of coffee in front of him. 

"Uh, hi," Liam said. 

"Hey."

Theo looked tired, but he didn't look anywhere near as wrecked as he had yesterday when Liam had left him. 

"What...are you doing here?" Liam asked slowly. 

"Well," Theo said. "Your bike's busted."

"Oh, shit." Liam's eyes widened. He had completely forgotten about his busted tire, and the fact that his bike was still in Mason's car, and Mason was  _ definitely _ still asleep right now. 

"Yeah," Theo nodded. "So I thought you'd need a ride to work."

"I honestly hadn't even thought about that," Liam said. "Thank you."

"Hey," Theo said with a smile that was more on brand with the Theo that Liam was used to than any of the expressions he had had yesterday. "I just didn't want you to be late, and wind up slinging coffee all by myself."

"Fair enough."

Liam wasn't sure that he quite believed Theo, but at the same time, he didn't want to call him out. Their relationship was in a weird place right now, and he wanted to make sure that he didn't do anything to damage what he felt was a precarious, cautious friendship. He had never seen things with Theo going in this direction, but if they were, well, he wasn't going to fight against it. It was interesting, and strange, but he sort of liked it. 

And then, of course, there was what Mason had said - that there was something interesting between them, something potentially more than friends. He pushed that thought to the back of his head as he reached into the cupboard. 

"Do you want a Pop Tart or something?"

"Nah," Theo shook his head. "Some guy left pizza in my fridge last night, so I've already eaten."

"Oh." Liam smiled as he dropped the two Pop Tarts into the toaster, and got out a paper towel to wrap them in. 

"Thank you, by the way," Theo said softly, taking a sip of his coffee. "For taking care of me last night."

"I didn't-"

"I had a blanket over me when I woke up," Theo said. 

"Well, it was kind of chilly in your apartment," Liam countered. 

"Still," he said. "I appreciate it, and now we can...never talk about it again if you don't want."

"Sounds good." Liam nodded. 

Did Theo want to talk about it, or did he want to push what had happened from his mind? After all, he had vented his heart and soul to Liam, and then propositioned him for sex. It had been a weird night, and Liam wouldn't blame Theo if he wanted to forget it entirely. If Liam were on the other end of it, he was pretty sure that he would want to pretend that at least parts of that night hadn't happened. 

Liam scarfed the Pop Tarts down while Theo drank his coffee, and soon, they were out the door and headed to work. It was quiet, but not in the same, uncomfortable way that it had been when they were headed back to Theo's yesterday from the preserve, and Liam wondered if this was it - if they were just  _ comfortable _ with each other now. 

He had to admit, he did not hate it. 

Theo was quieter than usual at work, and both of them were tired, but they got through the day, and just as Liam was about to leave with Mason, Theo called after him. 

"I can pick you up again tomorrow," he said. "You know, just until your bike is fixed."

"Yeah?" Liam smiled. "That'd be great, thanks."

"Alright, be ready by 7:15."

"Will do." Liam nodded, and headed out the door with Mason. 

"So, Theo Raeken takes you to work now, huh?"

"Shut up," Liam said, shoving his best friend as they headed for the car. "Only until my bike is fixed."

"Do you want me to take you to get it fixed? It’s still in my trunk."

"Um." Liam bit his lip. "Maybe give it a few days?"

"Yup." Mason nodded smugly. "I totally knew it."

***

Friday at 6 PM, Liam found himself outside of Theo's door. He had been thinking for days about how to help Theo, and last night, he had come up with an idea, he just hoped that it worked, that Theo would even be home. 

"Uh...hello?" Theo opened the door, clearly surprised to see Liam standing there. 

"Hi." Liam held up a garment bag. "Can I come in?"

"What's going on? Why are you dressed like you're going to a school dance?"

"Okay, first off, rude," Liam said. He was wearing classic black slacks and black loafers with a dark blue button down, skinny black tie, and black blazer. "Second off, you're gonna get dressed up, too." He shook the garment bag. "Put this on."

"Uh..." Theo unzipped it, revealing a sky blue suit and white shirt, with a pink tie. "What is this?"

"It's my spare suit," Liam said. 

"Why would I put on your spare suit?"

"Because you gotta dress up."

"What, you don't think I have a suit?" Theo asked. 

"Do you have a suit?" Liam challenged.

"...No..."

"Exactly. Put it on."

"We're not-"

"You are no more than 2 inches taller than me, and we're equally jacked," he said. "Plus, for some reason, short pants are totally in right now. It's gonna fit."

"What am I putting this on for?" Theo asked. 

"Okay, so remember when Todd said he was getting that award tonight?"

"Yes..." Theo's expression went from confused to stony very quickly. 

"Well, my stepdad is getting an award, too, it's a hospital-wide thing, and my mom had to work late." That last part was a lie - he had sat his mom down and told her just enough of the truth to get her to concede her ticket to the banquet. "So I thought I would take you as my date."

"Oh." Theo looked surprised. 

"I mean, I have to go, you're my  _ boyfriend _ , and how much will it eat his lunch if you show up to his fancy award night with another guy?"

"Eat his lunch?" Theo raised an eyebrow. 

"You know what I mean," Liam said. "Put the suit on and get ready to hold my hand."

"Hold your hand?"

"We're gonna make him jealous enough that he leaves you alone," he said. "He comes into your work and harasses you, so we're going to go to his banquet and totally stoop to his level." 

"Huh." Theo looked at Liam, then reached for the garment bag. "Devious. I like it."

Theo disappeared into the bathroom, and came out a few minutes later. The trousers were a little short on him, but for the most part, the suit fit him well, and he looked nice. 

Really nice. 

Theo fished out something that could pass well enough for dress shoes, and looked over at Liam. 

"Do I look stupid?"

"No." Liam took him in, biting his lip. "You...don't look stupid at all. You actually look..."

"What?" Theo asked. 

"Oh, nothing, you just don't look stupid at all. Come on." Liam headed for the door. "You're driving, by the way. I took a Lyft here."

"Fair enough." Theo took a deep breath and followed Liam out the door. 

Honestly, Liam was surprised that he had managed to convince Theo that this was a good idea, but now that he had him out the door and headed to the event, well, it seemed like the hardest part was over. However, he had no idea how Theo was going to react once they got there. It was a big gamble, and Liam had known that, but Todd needed to see that Theo  was moving on without him, and that he didn't want the other man in his life anymore, or ever again. 

This would be a good start for that.

Liam hoped that they would look comfortable together. They were still new to being friends, and with whatever the hell had happened between them last night, would Theo be feeling weird about pretending to be on a date with him? Would Liam be hoping that this was a little more than just pretend? 

Honestly, it was a difficult thing to track, and a strange line to be on, but Liam couldn't help himself. He wanted to see the look on Todd's face when he went to accept his award, and his beloved Theo was there with someone else, someone who would never do what Todd had done. Yes, Liam had messed up, he had he had done the wrong thing in the past, but he was determined to show Theo that he wasn't that man anymore, that he could change. Todd was just trying to pull the same shit that he had before, Liam was sure of it.

"This it?" Theo asked, breaking Liam from his thoughts as he pulled up in front of a swanky hotel. 

"Yeah." Liam nodded. "You ready?" He undid his seat belt, and looked over at Theo before opening the door. "Do you wanna talk about this at all, or just-"

"Just do what we would do if we were boyfriends," he said. "Hold hands, steal food off of each other's plates...I don't know." He took a deep breath. "I really want to show him that I'm happy without him."

"Okay." Liam smiled. "Then let's show him that you're happy without him." He paused. "And be prepared for me to whisper shit in your year during the boring speeches, you know, just in case he's looking."

"He's a creep," Theo said, shuddering. "He'll probably be looking the entire time."

"I hate him," Liam said. "I don't know him, but I hate him." His words were resolute, and he was sure that he saw Theo crack a smile as he spoke. 

"Yeah," Theo sighed. "Me too, it's just been so hard for me to take a stand against him. This...this is going to help," he said firmly. "Thank you."

"Hey, don't mention it. Having you here will be more fun than having to sit through it with my parents trying to make sure I pay full attention at all times."

"Ah," Theo nodded. "So this was selfishly motivated."

"Maybe just a tiny bit," Liam said, wrinkling his nose. 

"You're ridiculous." Theo said. 

"Yup." Liam opened his door and hopped down from the truck. "Come on, we have a douchey ex to make jealous, and I wanna get to our table before someone eats all the bread rolls."

"So  _ you _ can eat all the bread rolls?" Theo asked, getting out of the car and locking it. 

"Precisely." Liam grinned, trying to make this as light as possible as he reached for Theo's hand. 

They may have had a plan, but he was fairly sure that everything could crash around them when Theo saw Todd. It wasn't just going to be easy, but Liam was there to make sure that they stuck it to that motherfucker as best they could. He didn't deserve any of Theo's attention, and Liam was going to make sure that they showed him just how much he didn't have it. 

If Theo was right, and Todd was always watching, then Liam would just have to be sure not to drop his guard for even a second. He would be the attentive boyfriend every minute of tonight, and if it was exhausting, well, at least it was for a good reason, a good cause. 

As they neared the door, Liam took Theo's hand. 

"Hi," he said to the door woman. "We're David Geyer's guests, Liam Dunbar +1."

The woman checked her list, and then nodded, waving them in. 

"Drink tickets?" Liam asked hopefully. 

"ID?" she shot back with a smile.

"Worth a shot," Liam chuckled, and Theo couldn't help but snort with laughter. 

"That was pathetic," Theo said as they entered. "Your dad is literally gonna be here, he'd notice."

"Stepdad," Liam reminded him. 

"Oh, right, sorry."

"Hey, no worries," Liam shrugged. "Now, let's go get drinks, sodas, whatever, and see if we can make your stalker a little jealous by just existing."

"You don't have to do this, you know," Theo said. 

Liam sensed a slight shift in tone, and got the feeling that Theo was nervous, and that made sense. This was probably new for him, and they were surrounded by people that he didn't know, and hell, aside from his shoes, he wasn't even wearing his own clothes. 

"It's okay," he said. "I don't mind. I want to."

"I feel like your tie is strangling me," Theo admitted. He reached up to loosen it, but Liam stopped him. 

"Let me." Liam moved in front of Theo and reached up, loosening the tie a little. "Better?"

"Yeah." Theo nodded. "Thanks."

"Of course." Liam smoothed it down, and then leaned up, kissing Theo on the cheek. 

"What was that for?" Theo asked, startled. 

"Well, you said he was always watching," Liam said. "Felt like the boyfriendly thing to do after fixing your tie."

"Oh." Theo took a deep breath. "Yeah, of course."

"Now come on." Liam threaded his fingers with Theo's once again. "Let's get those drinks."

It took pretty much all of the energy and will power that Liam had to not look around for Todd, but he kept himself back, focusing his attention on Theo. After all, he didn't want to do anything that might give away the fact that this was all a ruse. He introduced Theo to a few of his favorite of his step dad's coworkers - a few of the other doctors, and Melissa McCall, Liam's favorite nurse, who was also receiving an award. He said a quick hello to her son Scott, who was only a few years above Liam in school. They had been on the Lacrosse team together, but Scott had never been one of the "LAX bros", and he had always seemed kind and well intentioned. 

"It's amazing to me," Theo said, as they settled into their assigned table. "How many of these people work with Todd."

"Yup." Liam nodded.    
  
It was also baffling that none of them seemed to realize that he was the scum of the earth, but what could you do about that? It wasn't always easy to tell when someone was a garbage can, he supposed.

Especially not if you were at work, and they were good at their job. 

Liam reached for the roll basket, and took one out, leaving the rest, knowing full well from having been at things like this in the past, that there was only really enough for one per person.    
  
"What happened to eating the whole basket?" Theo asked with a smile. 

"Oh, they're super technical at these things. 10 seats at a table, 10 rolls in a basket. You don't get more."

"You experienced with banquets?"

"Maybe just a little," Liam said with a shrug. 

"This is my first rodeo, so you'll have to show me the ropes." Theo reached into the basket, pulling out a roll of his own. 

"I think I can do that," Liam said, tearing his roll in half and grabbing one of the pats of butter, beginning to spread it on the roll. "God damnit," he sighed. "Cold butter. Right out of the fridge."

"The worst," Theo agreed, taking one of the pats of butter and placing it in his palm, squeezing his hands around it. 

Liam continued to try and spread the butter on his roll, the bread tearing as he did so. He growled in frustration, finally settling for just eating it with the butter in clumps - it was still good. Still bread. 

Theo waited a bit for the butter in his hands to come to temperature, then he cut his roll open with his knife, and carefully unwrapped the butter, spreading it evenly over the roll. 

"Show off," Liam said, rolling his eyes as Theo set his knife down, his roll perfectly buttered. 

"Be nice," Theo said, taking half of the roll and putting it on Liam's plate. 

"Oh," Liam smiled. "For me?"

"You destroyed yours."

"You don't have to-"

"Always watching, remember?" Theo said with a smile. "It's what you do. When your guy destroys his roll with impressive impatience, you share."

"Thanks." Liam laughed, and picked up the half that Theo had given him, proceeding to wolf that down as well. 

Once he was finished with his bread, Liam hooked his ankle around Theo's chair, and used the leverage to scoot his own closer. The chairs were perfectly spaced, so Liam moving closer to Theo created a gap on one end of the table, one that would be fairly obvious to anyone who was really paying attention, and Liam hoped that that would include Todd. 

"So," he said, opening up the program that was on the table. He draped one arm around Theo and put the program between. "It's schmoozing for like 10 more minutes, then the intros and awards and food start," he said. "We should get another soda before that happens, because it can be difficult to get one once they start doing the salads and dinner and stuff."

"Wow," Theo said. "You really are an expert."

"Hey, you've been to one of these things, you've been to all of them. I bet I can predict what's for dinner."

"Oh yeah?" Theo raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah." Liam nodded. "Wanna bet?"

"Yeah, I'll take that action." Theo laughed. 

"What, winner buys late night tacos?"

"Aren't we having dinner here?" Theo asked. 

"That's thing one - it will not be enough food for guys with real appetites. Everyone gets the same portions, and since they don't like to waste food, well, they tend to go medium to small. You're still going to be hungry, and I will definitely still be hungry."

"Alright, fine," Theo nodded. "If you're dead on, I'll buy tacos and drinks, if you're only sort of close, I'll buy tacos, sodas on you, and if you flop, it's all on you."

"Okay." Liam smiled and held his free hand out to Theo. "Deal."

"So, oh wise one," Theo shook his hand. "What's for dinner?"

"Well, first," Liam said. "Salad will be some wilted spinach situation with bleu cheese, candied walnuts, and some sort of dried fruit with a vinaigrette."

"That is  _ very _ specific," Theo said. 

"Just you wait," Liam winked. 

"And dinner?"

"Dinner will be lukewarm chicken with either green beans or broccoli,  _ maybe _ carrots," he said. "Served over a very basic risotto, or fingerling potatoes. And dessert will be chocolate cake, or an assorted platter of cookies."

"Okay." Theo grinned. "Well, I suppose we shall see." 

"I suppose we shall." Liam leaned into him a little bit. "Come on. Drinks."

He stood up, and tugged on Theo's arm to get him to come as well. They were almost to the bar when Todd got in front of them. 

"Theodore," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"My step dad is getting an award tonight," Liam said, interjecting. "My mom had to work late last minute, so I  _ begged _ Theo to be my date so that I wouldn't be bored out of my skull."

"Oh." Todd frowned. "Wait, who is your stepdad?"

"David Geyer," Liam smirked. 

"Oh." There was a look in Todd's eye that Liam couldn't quite place, but it almost seemed fearful. Was Todd intimidated by Liam's step dad? That couldn't be a bad thing, right? Not if they were going to get the upper hand on this guy. "He's a good doctor."

"The best," Liam said. "This is his fourth year in a row winning "Patient's Favorite" doctor, I'm really proud, but that doesn't mean these get any more interesting." 

He tucked himself closer into Theo's chest. 

"So are you here for support?" Liam asked, pretending easily to have forgotten that Todd was getting an award as well. 

"No," Todd shook his head. "I'm being honored. For excellence in surgery."

"Oh, cool," Liam said with a shrug. "I'm sure that will be very exciting for you. Drinks?" He turned to Theo. 

"Yeah, babe." Theo nodded, smiling at Liam. 

"Theodore," Todd cut in. "Can we talk?"

"I'm busy," Theo said, looking over at his ex. "I'm kind of on a date right now."

"Five minutes," Todd said. "Five minutes, and I'll prove to you that you're making a mistake."

"A mistake?" Theo shook his head, seeming emboldened by Liam's hand reaching for his. "No, you don't understand. Dating  _ you _ was a mistake. Dating Liam? That is definitely not a mistake. See, being with him, seeing what it's like when someone actually cares about me, shows me everything that I never had when I was with you. But he covers me with a blanket when I fall asleep on the couch, and he runs headlong into the preserve when I'm having a bad day, because he  _ knows _ where I'm gonna be when I'm upset, and then instead of trying to throw money at a problem to make it go away, he listens to me when I talk, so you know what? I'd rather spend those five minutes with him, and feel heard, than spend five minutes with you talking  _ at _ me."  
  
Todd looked taken aback by Theo's outburst, and honestly, Liam was surprised, too. He wondered if Todd could tell that Theo was shaking, just slightly. Liam wasn't sure that he would have known if he couldn't feel it in the hand that he was holding. This had to be huge for Theo, and after seeing the way that Theo had folded every other time he had seen Todd, this was massive progress. 

"I'm not-"

"Don't." Theo shook his head. "You had your chance with me, and you trapped me. You isolated me, and you tried to make into some, I don't know, sex puppet, and then when I wasn't perfect, you punched me in the face to show me what you would do to me if I ever denied you anything, and thank  _ god _ you did it when you did, because if I had let you take control over me any more, I might not have been strong enough to get away from you." 

Theo was gripping Liam's hand tighter now, and it hurt, but Liam didn't flinch. Theo needed this, and if he needed to squeeze the life out of Liam's hand to have the strength to do it, then he could. 

"I'm with someone else now. You and I are  _ never _ going to happen again, and no amount of charm, or apologies, or money is going to change that, so stay away from me. Stay away from Liam, and stay the fuck away from my work place," Theo tensed. "If I see you at  **Banshee** again, I'm calling the sheriff."

"The sheriff?" he said. "You have nothing-"

"Maybe nothing that would stick," he said. "But I don't think that the hospital would take it too well if a domestic abuse claim was filed against you, because you  _ did _ do that. You know that you did, and maybe it was only physical once, but you were a piece of shit long before you raised a fist to me, and you'll leave me alone if you know what's good for you. You isolated me, but I'm not alone anymore."

"You're causing a scene," Todd said. 

"Oh, I'm really not," Theo said. "But I could be." And it was true. He was saying intense things, but at least so far, Theo was keeping his voice down - impressively so, as far as Liam was concerned. 

"You wouldn't." Todd gulped, clearly not believing his own words. 

"Wanna find out?" Theo challenged. 

And there it was, that glint in Theo's eye, the one that he got when he was sassing Liam, the one that was so undeniably  _ Theo _ that no one could second guess that. Liam felt his stomach flip. He was so proud of Theo, and there was an aching in his chest that he could pretend to ignore, but even then, he would know. There was something so incredibly attractive about Theo laying into this smarmy motherfucker. 

"You'll regret this," Todd said. "One day, when you're in a shitty apartment, and your shitty job, heating up ramen on a stove, you're gonna miss my Jag, and my pool, and-"

"Come on, babe," Theo said to Liam. "We really should get those drinks before the event starts."

And without even listening to the rest of what Todd had to say, he tugged on Liam's hand, pulling him towards the bar. 

"Okay," Liam said once they were out of Todd's earshot. "That was...I..." he looked at Theo in awe. "I didn't know you had that in you."

"Neither did I," Theo said. "God, my hands are shaking." He gulped. He pulled Liam's hand up, placing it on his chest without even thinking. "My heart is racing. Can you feel that?"

"Yeah." Liam nodded. "I can. Are you okay?"

"I..." Theo gulped. "I have no idea. I think so. I didn't even mean to do that."

"But you needed to."

"Yeah," Theo said softly. "And it doesn't fix everything, it doesn't undo what he did to me, but god, it feels  _ good _ , to finally have not fallen at his feet. He didn't get to see me cower this time. I finally got him. I finally told him what I've been too weak to tell him since we broke up."

"Is it weird if I'm proud of you?" Liam asked. 

"I don't know, probably," Theo said. "But I'm too...I don't even know, too  _ something _ to really care right now." 

"Well, then let's get our sodas and go wait for our candied walnut salads," Liam said. 

"You're so confident that you're right about that.” 

"Yup." Liam nodded. "The sweet, sweet smell of free tacos is already filling my nostrils."

"You are...so weird."

Liam shrugged. "It's part of my charm. Sue me."

"Charm? I don't know. But it's definitely you."

Liam didn't say anything else, he just smiled to himself, because yeah, it was a part of him, and it seemed like Theo was starting to learn who he was. They were both learning about each other, and it was crazy that they could find themselves in this situation. They had been enemies, maybe worse than, at the beginning of the summer, and now it felt as though they were slaying giants together. 

Theo was still jittery as they sat back down at their table with their drinks, and Liam reached under the table cloth, putting his hand on Theo's thigh to steady it. 

"Sorry," Theo said softly. 

"Hey, it's okay." Liam smiled. "Besides, just because you told him off doesn't mean he's not still watching."

"Good point." Theo looked over at Liam, smiling. "You're..."

"What?"

"I don't know." Theo shrugged. "Not like I thought you were."

"Yeah, well, you aren't like I thought you were either. I guess people grow, and change, and then, of course, there are always misunderstandings."

"Yeah, I guess there are. I was just so sure," Theo said. "I was so sure you were a shit bag."

"I think I probably was," Liam admitted. "But things change, and I was kind of a mess in high school, honestly. I had a lot of anger still inside of me, and sometimes it was just a lot easier to target other people than focus on my own shortcomings."

"I think it's always easier to target others than focus on your own issues," Theo said. 

"God, probably." Liam sighed. "But I like to think I'm getting better."

"You are."

"Oh, man, the timing..." Liam looked up as their salads were delivered. "All this time talking about how I'm improving, when I am about to serve you a big, fat, candied walnut and bleu cheese ‘I told you so.’" 

They both watched as the salads were set down in front of them, and sure enough, there it was. Slightly wilted spinach, that looked like it might have been fresh before sitting out for too long, sprinkled with candied nuts, dried cranberries, and bleu cheese crumbles, with little metal cups of vinaigrette were placed before them. 

"Motherfucker!" Theo laughed. 

"Boom. Told you."

"Okay, okay, but that's still just one out of three," Theo reminded him. 

"Hey, it's a good start," Liam teased, elbowing him in the arm before lifting his fork.  Before he got his fork to his plate, however, Theo's fork cut him off, stealing one of the bleu cheese crumbles right off the top of his salad. 

"You dirty, dirty thief," Liam said, shaking his head, though there was no animosity whatsoever. 

"Boys," David sat down on Liam's other side. "Are you going to embarrass me tonight?"

"No sir," Theo said at the same time that Liam said:

"Yeah, probably."

David just laughed and shook his head. 

"Well, if you're going to cause shenanigans, do it quietly, I don't want to get kicked out."

"Okay." Liam smiled. "We will be quiet."

"I know these things are boring," David said. "And I appreciate you coming, though I don't really understand why-"

"Oh look," Liam said. "It's starting!"

That got the conversation off of why the hell he had brought Theo to something like this, and honestly, Liam couldn't help but be pleased with himself. So far, everything was falling into place, and as the awards and speeches started, Liam found himself glancing at Theo, and not the podium. 

He looked really good in Liam's suit, and the pink tie did something weird to bring out his eyes. The slight scruff that he had from a few days spent not shaving was a good look for him, and there was a relaxed nature to his posture that Liam felt was new, that he felt possibly (probably) came from telling Todd off the way that he had. 

Liam couldn't help but think that, if this  _ were _ a first date, it wouldn't be a bad one at all, but it was fake, he knew that. They were here to help Theo get past something, and to keep Liam from being too bored. 

Except when the servers cleared away their salad plates, and set down plates of chicken over rice with roasted carrots and string beans, Liam raised his hand to take his fork, releasing Theo's in the process. 

He hadn't even realized that they had been holding hands. 

"Shit," Theo said under his breath. 

"What?" Liam asked, gulping. Was Theo mad at him for taking his hand? Had he even been the one to take Theo's hand? He couldn't recall. 

"Two for two," Theo wrinkled his nose. 

"Told you so," Liam said, laughing as he realized that Theo was talking about Liam's food predictions. At the very worst, he'd have to buy the sodas, and that would be it. 

"It's freakish that you know this," Theo whispered. 

"And yet..." Liam shrugged. 

During the dinner course, David got his award, and made a short, but very nice speech about saving lives and all that. 

"Hey," Liam nudged Theo. "Todd's up next. Wanna sneak off right as he hits the podium? Like we're gonna go make out in the hall or something?"

"Oh my god." Theo laughed. "You're kind of a menace, aren't you?"

"I mean, don't you kinda want him to see you leave with someone else during his speech?"

Theo looked at Liam, tilting his head to the side. "You know what?" He smiled. "I totally do."

So, just as Todd took the podium, Liam leaned into Theo. 

"Okay, now," he whispered into his ear. 

He stood up and took Theo's hand, tugging him, laughing quietly, towards the door to the hallway. 

Everyone else was peaceful. Everyone else was seated. It would be very easy to notice the two young men stealing away. 

"There's gotta be a coat room around here somewhere," Liam teased. "The perfect place for a clandestine make out..."

"Eh," Theo shrugged. The hallway was empty. Everyone was inside listening to the speeches. "I think the wall will do just fine."

"What?"

Liam barely had time to process what was happening before Theo had him pressed against the wall. He stepped in closer to him, a smile on his face that Liam was pretty sure he understood without translation. 

"Is this okay?" Theo asked, looking into Liam's blue eyes. 

"Um, yeah, yes." Liam gulped. 

"You sure?" Theo asked. "You're nervous."

"I..." Liam shrugged. "It's...a public place. I mean..."

"We don't have to," Theo said.

"Todd's on stage," Liam said. "He won't see."

"You know," Theo shrugged. "I'm really, really sick of doing things because of Todd, and not because  _ I _ want to."

"So..." Liam gulped again. "So you want to?"

"Yeah." Theo nodded. "Do you?"

Liam nodded quickly, trying to find words, but unable to. 

Theo didn't make him flounder for long, though, before he leaned in, putting one hand on Liam's cheek, and kissing him. 

This wasn't like the other night, on Theo's couch, when both of them had been drained, and tired, and depressed, and Theo had been desperate and aggressive. No, this kiss was clearly intentioned, and slow, and Liam felt like he was melting into the wall. If Theo's hand hadn't been on his cheek, and his other arm hadn't been resting, palm against the wall, just below Liam's arm pit, he wasn't sure he would even have been upright right now. 

Theo Raeken was a fantastic kisser, and this time, that kiss was for  _ him _ , and not as some part of a distraction, and Liam felt it radiate through his entire body. 

"Oh my god," Liam said, his eyes wide as Theo pulled away.

"Good?" Theo asked, searching Liam's eyes, genuinely concerned that he may have done something wrong.

"Good." Liam grabbed the lapels of the jacket Theo was wearing, and pulled him in close, kissing him again, stopping only when he heard footsteps. 

Liam broke away, his face falling. 

"What?" Theo asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Cheesecake," Liam said, his tone conveying utter misery. 

"What?" Theo's expression switched to one of utter confusion. 

"Cheesecake," Liam said again, pointing behind Theo, crestfallen.

Theo turned to see the servers heading back towards the banquet room, carrying platters that contained what was unmistakably cheesecake with some sort of red berry sauce.  
  
"Oh my god." Theo burst out laughing, and turned his full attention back to Liam. "You are so cute."

"What?" Liam asked. 

"You look like a kid who was just told Christmas was cancelled forever." Theo was still laughing. "It's just cheesecake."

"I lost!" Liam countered. 

"Two out of three is not bad," Theo said. 

"But I have to eat  _ cheesecake _ ," Liam said. "It's like a double loss."

"You know that you don't have to eat it just because they put it in front of you, right?" Theo asked. "And wait, wait, you don't like cheesecake?"

"Not really," Liam admitted. "It's too rich, and not in a fun way."

"I'll tell you what," Theo said, leaning against the wall and looking at Liam. "I'll eat your cheesecake, and on our way for late night tacos, I'll buy you another dessert at the store."

"Can we get those giant Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches from the freezer at the 7-11?" Liam asked. 

"Yes." Theo looked at him adoringly. "I will get you an ice cream sandwich from the 7-11, you child."

"I'm not a child," Liam said. 

"Oh no?" Theo asked. 

"Yeah, want me to prove it?"

"I mean, you're welcome to try..."

Liam just smiled and pulled Theo back into him, kissing him long and deep. 

He wasn't sure what had changed, but something really had. This was them now, and it didn't feel fake, and Theo felt loose, he felt calm, he felt like he had dropped some guard, and maybe he had. When they pulled back, Theo was smiling in a way that Liam hadn't seen before. Even with Theo's smiles in the past, there had been a tightness to them, but he couldn't find that now, and honestly, he was not mad about it. 

Theo was beautiful like this, happy, more relaxed. 

"Come on," Liam said. "Let's go back in. I wouldn't want to deny you your cheesecake."

Theo didn't put up a fight, and he followed Liam back into the banquet. Liam pushed his cheesecake over to Theo, and Theo dug in as David leaned into Liam. 

"Your shirt is untucked," he whispered. "And you look like you've just rolled down a hill."

"Sorry," Liam said sheepishly. 

David rolled his eyes. "Don't be sorry," he said. "But come on, kid. At the hospital awards banquet? Really?"

"Don't tell mom," Liam said. "Please?"

"I won't," he said. "One condition."

"What's that?" Liam asked. 

"You and your boyfriend get out of here before this is over, so that I don't have to explain to any of my colleagues why my stepson and his date look like they just had sex in the bathroom."

Liam cringed at his stepdad mentioning sex, but he nodded. 

"We're out of here as soon as he finishes his cheesecake," Liam said. "And hey, congratulations on the award. I mean that. Sorry I made this weird. One day, maybe, I'll be able to explain it."

"It's fine," David rolled his eyes. "You're only young once, Liam. Enjoy it."

Liam just nodded, watching as David turned his attention back to the speaker. 

When Theo finished his cheesecake, Liam grabbed his hand and led him from the banquet. 

"Come on," he whined. "I'm hungry."

"Well, you wouldn't be if your misguided ass enjoyed normal things, like cheesecake," Theo said. 

"Oh, no, I still would be," he said. "Just less hungry."

"Alright, well," Theo slung his arm around Liam as they headed out of the banquet room. "I guess I do owe you an ice cream sandwich."

"And tacos," Liam reminded him.

"Yes, but you owe me soda."

"Fucking cheesecake," Liam snarled. 

"You know what?" Theo sighed. "I'll buy the sodas."

"What? Why?"

"Because," Theo shrugged. "You...tonight, even though I haven't been with him for awhile now, I haven't felt free. He's always been there, looming over me, taking total control, and it's like something snapped tonight, and now I don't feel that way anymore. I finally said what I needed to say to him, and now I can move on. It's like ghosts, you know? How they can't pass over until they take care of whatever unfinished business is keeping them tied to the material plane?"

"Uh..." Liam paused, taking a few beats to process all of that. "Yeah, okay, I guess I can see how that works."

"Well, he was my unfinished business, and I can cross over to better things now," he said. "Like late night tacos, and making out with you."

"And ice cream sandwiches," Liam reminded him. 

"Don't worry," Theo rolled his eyes. "I didn't forget."

Not 10 minutes later, Liam had his giant ice cream sandwich, and Theo was driving them to a taco place that was open late. 

"You sure you don't want a bite?" Liam asked. 

"I'm sure," Theo said with a laugh. 

"You're missing out," Liam shook his head, taking a large bite of the frozen treat. 

"Yeah, I know what I'm missing, and I really do feel okay about it," Theo said. 

"Your loss," Liam shrugged, polishing off the rest of the ice cream sandwich just in time for Theo to pull into the parking lot of the taqueria. 

"Are you still hungry?" Theo asked. 

"Yes." Liam nodded. "Come on."

"Are you actually, or are you just saying that because you want to make good on our bet?"

"Both," Liam said. "You're buying me tacos. I am going to eat them, and then yes, probably complain about how full I am, but we're friends now-" he cut himself off. 

Were they friends? Were they more than friends? What the fuck was going on? 

"We're friends, right?" he asked. 

"Yes." Theo cut the engine and got out of the car. "We're friends. Hopefully with benefits."

"Friends with benefits," Liam said slowly. "Yeah, I can do that."

After all, he was going back to school in a month, and there was still so much that he didn't know about Theo. There was still some line there that they hadn't crossed, and while he was curious about the other man, he was also a smart guy, and he knew better than to fall in love with only a few weeks left of summer. 

He knew better than to fall in love with Theo Raeken. After all, he might be having a good night, but there was still a lot of damage there, and Liam was leaving. He didn't want to dangle more in front of Theo than he could actually give him, and he hoped that it didn't come across that way. 

Then again, as they headed into the taqueria, he couldn't deny the twisty feeling in his stomach. Theo made him happy, Theo made him  _ more _ than happy, and it wasn't a solution to their issues, it was just a change in them.   
  
***

"Okay," Theo leaned back against the bed of his truck, which they were sitting in with their tacos and cokes. "First kiss?"

"Julie Everly, summer camp, when I was 11 years old. Like four of her friends came up to me giggling, and told me she was waiting for me behind the cabin, and that I was supposed to go and kiss her," Liam said. 

"And you caved into peer pressure?" Theo teased. "You're a weak, weak man."

"I didn't want to leave her behind the cabin to be embarrassed all alone!" Liam said. 

"Uh huh..."

"Okay, and like all the guys were there, so you know, I had to."

"There it is." Theo laughed, taking a sip of his coke. 

"Alright, alright," Liam rolled his eyes. "First hangover?"

"Harry Ross' End of the Year bash after Sophomore year," Theo said. "It was the first "big" school party I was invited to, and thus the first party I was at that had liquor and not just beer, and my dumb ass didn't realize there was a difference in the strength. Boy was I sorry when that party came to an end. I had like, five shots and a couple beers, and it was not a party."

"I mean, it was a party..." Liam said.

"Okay, we both know that you know what I mean," Theo replied. "Well, the morning after was not a party."

"Oh?"

"Yup." Theo groaned. "I tried to go get some fresh air, and I puked in the neighbor's rose bushes. Oddly enough, best crop of roses they ever had. Is crop the right word?"

"God, I don't know." Liam laughed. "But hey, roses fertilized by Theo vom? Fantastic."

"Shut up." Theo laughed. "Favorite song?"

"That's sort of a giant question."

"Okay, well it doesn't have to be like, your favorite of all time favorite, just one that you like a lot, or whatever."

"Hmmm." Liam bought himself some time by taking a bite of his taco. "God, this is gonna sound so lame."

"Well now you  _ have _ to tell me."

"I don't know, it's super old or whatever, but I've always liked _Punk Rock Princess_ by Something Corporate."

"Oh yeah?" Theo nudged him. "You gonna be my garage band king?"

"Wait," Liam looked at him. "You know it?"

"I was an angsty teenager," Theo said. "So yeah, I know it."

"Fair enough." Liam couldn't help but smile. "Favorite dessert?"

"Cheesecake."

"Monster."

"Kidding, kidding," Theo laughed. "Hot fudge brownie sundae with coffee ice cream."

"Oh, good answer!" Liam laughed. 

"I know, right?" Theo laughed. "Number one celebrity crush?"

"Male or female?"

"Hmmm, one of each."

"Okay, let's see." Liam looked up at the stars, laughing. "God, you're gonna laugh though!"

"I think that's sort of a given at this point."

"Fine." Liam sighed. "Zac Efron and Michelle Obama."

"Oh my god." Theo burst out laughing.

"What can I say? I love some good eye candy, and a strong woman."

"No, no, those are great answers, I just did not see that coming." Theo took a deep breath to try and calm his laughter. "Not judging. That's fantastic."

"Alright, alright," he laughed. "First crush. Like  _ real _ crush."

"Oh god, now you're gonna laugh at me."

"It's high time!" 

"The Sheriff's kid? Stiles?"

"Oh my god!" Liam's eyes widened. "What the fuck?"

"I don't know! He was a couple years older, and he was goofy, and it appealed to me at the time!"

"He was my  _ Lyft _ driver the other night!" Liam said. 

"Oh shit, no way!" Theo laughed. "That's nuts."

"It's more nuts that you had a crush on him."

"He was cute!"

"Let's call a Lyft, see if we can get him out here," Liam said, reaching for his phone. "Beacon Hills isn't that big, you know...there can't be  _ that _ many Lyft drivers..."

"Oh, don't you dare!" Theo dove at Liam, grabbing his phone and pulling it away. 

"Why not? You're completely hotter than him now, I bet you could so totally land him."

"I was like 13!" Theo laughed. "And besides," he looked down at where Liam was resting in the truck bed from being tackled. "I'm here with you."

"Oh," Liam looked up at him smiling. "Now  _ that _ is a good answer."

He leaned up, kissing him deeply. The remainders of their tacos and sodas lay forgotten as Theo eased down into the kiss. It was dark out, there was no one around, it was just them, and the clear sky, and the back of Theo's truck. 

***   


Liam pulled away after they had been making out for who knows how long. 

"My suit is gonna be a mess," he said with a smile. 

"Oh, god, I'm sorry!"

"Hey, there's dry cleaning for a reason," Liam said, looking up at him. "This is fun," Liam admitted. 

"Okay," Theo relaxed. "It's getting late, I should probably take you home." 

"Yeah," Liam nodded. "Probably should."

Theo rolled off of Liam and gathered their trash from their late night snack before hopping out of the bed of the truck, and helping Liam out as well. 

"Okay, this is me," Liam said as they reached his house. 

"Yeah, I know," Theo said. "I've been here before, remember? I pick you up for work now?"

"Oh, god, right, sorry - I'm just a little flustered. Today was not what I expected."

"Yeah," Theo smiled at him as he stopped the car. "Me neither, but..it felt good. I needed a lot of what went down, so thank you for that."

"Hey, don't mention it."

"Okay then." Theo laughed. "See you on Monday? I'll have your suit dry cleaned and I'll bring it back when I pick you up."

"Oh." Liam smiled. "I mean, if you bring it back on Monday I can just take it when I take what I'm wearing in. It's no problem. My family has an account at the dry cleaners."

"What, and you think I don't?" Theo teased. 

"I think you're 20, so yeah, no." Liam laughed. "I don't think I know anyone who had an account with the dry cleaner at 20."

Liam paused, making eye contact with Theo, and at the same time, they said:

"Lydia Martin."

"Oh my god." Liam laughed. "You're ridiculous." He leaned in, kissing Theo on the cheek. "I'll see you Monday."

"Goodnight, Liam," Theo said. "You cheesecake hating motherfucker!" he called as Liam headed up the walk. 

Liam said nothing, he just flipped him off, his gesture backlit by the porch light that turned on as he approached. When Theo laughed, shaking his head, Liam turned away and let himself back into his home, feeling confused, yes, but also giddy, happy in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time.

He hadn't had a crush, a real vibrant crush, in a long time, and he could swear up and down, until he was blue in the face, that he still didn't, but that wouldn't make it true, and deep down, he knew that. 

He had a crush on Theo Raeken, and it seemed like maybe, just a little bit, Theo had a crush on him right back.   



	14. Chapter 14

Liam wasn't expecting to see Theo again until Monday, but when his phone rang Sunday night, displaying Theo's number on the screen, Liam picked up right away, his heart racing at the prospect of talking to Theo. 

But that was totally normal, he told himself. He had been by himself most of the weekend, since Mason was off with Corey. He was just excited to talk to someone, to possibly hang out with someone, who wasn't his mom. 

"Hey, Theo," Liam said, flopping back on his bed as he answered. 

"I'm picking you up in 10 minutes," Theo said. 

"Wait, what?" Liam sat up. Theo's voice sounded harried, maybe a little breathless. "Are you alright?"

"Some hiker found a piece of fabric on a bush, Sarah Becker's parents say it matches the sweatshirt she was last seen wearing, so they're doing a search party in the preserve. We're going."

"Oh my god, yeah, okay. I'll be ready."

Liam didn't say anything else, he merely hung up, his own heart pounding by the time Theo arrived to pick him up. It was shocking, after all - the thought that they might find Sarah, and upsetting, that they might not find her alive. She had been possibly alone in the preserve for several days, and that wasn't really a good place for an eight year old girl to be. Liam wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. 

What would happen to Theo if, just like his sister, the body was found, dead in the preserve? It didn't seem good, it didn't seem happy, or healthy, or safe for Theo, or anyone else, and Liam wasn't sure they should go. At the same time, he knew that it would be impossible trying to talk Theo out of this. 

He hadn't been able to save Tara, but if he could help try and find this other girl, Liam knew that he had to do that. 

Theo's tone had made that more than clear. 

"Hey." Liam slid into the passenger's seat. "Are you sure-"

"Yes," Theo said firmly. 

"Okay." Liam didn't ask another question, he just nodded, easing down into the seat. 

They said nothing on the drive, though observing Theo told Liam that his knuckles were white as they gripped the steering wheel, and he was clearly nervous. 

They both were. 

The debriefing was quick, and everyone was either given flashlights, or confirmed that they had them on their phone, with plenty of battery power, and off they went in pairs into the preserve, Liam with Theo.

"SARAH?" They heard the calls all around them, but Theo didn't call out. 

Theo walked with determination, shining his flashlight every which way, while Liam used the light from his phone to look. 

"She won't be this close to the edge," Theo said softly. "If she was, she'd have found her way out, or seen other people. If she's lost in the woods, she'll be in deep."

"Okay." Liam bit his lip. "And you're sure about this?"

"Absolutely." He nodded. 

"Okay."

Theo picked up his walking pace a little, and Liam matched. Sure, he didn't play Lacrosse anymore, but he was thankful that he was still in shape. Riding his bike around all summer definitely hadn't hurt his cardio, and despite the fact that Theo's legs were (slightly) longer, Liam was able to keep up.

The cries of the other members of the search party grew quieter as they got further away from them, and it grew darker as they were separated from the lights. It felt like they were alone in the woods, and while that might have been fun and romantic in another setting, it was full of nothing but tension right now. 

"Theo?" Liam asked, biting his lip. 

"What?" Theo kept looking. He didn't stop walking, he didn't turn to Liam. 

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Theo said. "But I have to do this."

"I know." Liam bit his lip. "I understand. I just...I just wanted to check, to make sure."

"I get it. But if she's out here, we have to find her, or at least try."

Liam just nodded, falling silent, not wanting to disrupt Theo right now. The other man was very clearly focused, and Liam didn't want to get in his way. He was pretty sure that Theo had called him so that he wouldn't have to pair up with someone else, and Liam got that, just like he got that this was very much Theo's thing, and that he was just along for the ride...and possibly there to help Theo if they found something bad, or found nothing at all. 

They had their phones, and they would be notified if anyone found her, and Liam was checking his obsessively while Theo led the walk. 

Liam had no idea how long they had been searching, but he was sure that they were several miles into the preserve. Liam's phone was getting lower and lower on service, and he had gotten more than one message from people saying that they were dropping out of the search because it was getting late, because their phones were dying, etc. 

Liam's phone was getting low on batteries, too, but they had the flashlight, and with Theo, he felt safe, and not so alone, even if everything was terrifying and intense. 

He didn't know what the best way to respond to Theo right now was, so he stayed silent, pulling his jacket around him. Sure, it was summer in California, but it was nearing 11 PM, and it wasn't exactly scorching that late at night. They had been out here for hours, and Liam wanted to ask how long they were going to keep going, but he got the feeling that Theo wasn't planning on turning back until he absolutely had to, and Liam wasn't about to leave him alone out here.

"You can go back, if you want," Theo said as it grew closer to midnight. 

Liam's phone was now well out of cell range, and Theo had changed the batteries in his flashlight once. Liam's own cell battery was getting low, but he knew that Theo hadn't touched his, so at least they had that, providing it was well charged. 

"I'm not leaving you," Liam said softly. "Alone in the woods all night? I don't think so."

"Thank you," Theo replied. "I know this isn't fun."

"Not all good, right things are fun," Liam said. "I'll keep looking until we need to go back."  
  
"Thank you." Theo fell quiet again, taking a few more steps before pausing. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Shhh." Theo raised a hand up to quiet Liam, and Liam did his best to listen. He heard the general sounds of the preserve, the woods and what not, and then a very, very faint whimpering. 

"Oh, is that-"

"This way!" Theo took off, practically sprinting through the woods in the direction of the cry. "LIAM!" He called. 

"What?" Liam jogged up behind him, stopping where Theo stood on the edge of a very large ditch. He looked down, and there, in the ditch, was a little girl, curled up, shivering, and sobbing. "Oh my god," he whispered. 

"Sarah?" Theo crouched down. "Sarah Becker?"

The little girl looked up. She was filthy, and there were twigs and sticks in her matted hair, but she was definitely alive. 

"Sarah, we're going to get you out of there, okay? Can you stand?"

"N-no," she shook her head. "My leg hurts. I think it broke."

"Okay, that's okay," Theo said. "We're gonna get you out, just hold on."

"Do you have a plan?" Liam whispered, not wanting to frighten the girl. "There's no cell service here, we're on our own."

"Okay, so you're gonna lie down on the ground, and lower me down, I'm gonna grab her, and you're gonna pull us both up."

"I don't know if-"

"You're really strong, Liam. You can do it, I know you can."

"Okay." Liam gulped, and lay down on the ground at the edge of the ditch.  
  
Theo sat down, and Liam took his hand. Slowly, Theo made his way into the ditch, getting as close to the girl as he could. 

"Okay, Sarah, reach out your arm as far as you can, try and take my hand," Theo said. 

The little girl did her best, shifting as close to Theo as she could, and reaching out. 

"Just a little further..." Theo gripped Liam's hand tight, and Liam held on with both of his hands, not wanting to drop him. 

Sure, if Theo lowered all the way down, he would probably be able to hand Sarah up, but then he might be stuck, which would not be ideal. 

"Yes, great job!" Liam was pulled from his thoughts as Theo grabbed Sarah's hand. "Okay, hold on tight, alright?" 

Sarah nodded, holding on to Theo for dear life, and he gripped back just as tight. Slowly, but surely, Liam pulled them both up, and soon, they were all lying in the dirt. 

"Hey," Theo instantly sat up and undid his sweatshirt, wrapping it around Sarah. "Hey, you're gonna be okay, Sarah. We're gonna get you out of here."

"Th-thank you." She buried her face into Theo's neck and her whole body shook with tears. 

The look on Theo's face was clear - it was pure relief, and he hugged her tight. It wasn't his sister, but Liam could tell that there was something huge in this, in having been able to help Sarah, when his own sister had been lost. 

"Her leg is broken," Theo said softly. "I'm going to have to carry her. Liam, you're fast, you can run ahead until you get cell service, get help, okay?"

"Okay." Liam nodded. "You'll be alright?"

"We'll be fine, we'll be right behind you."

"Okay."

"Go," Theo said, handing Liam his cellphone. 

"Okay." Liam took off, tearing through the woods in the direction that they had come from, following the route that he had been sure to pay close attention to. He knew the preserve well, and he wouldn't get lost out here. He wasn't sure if Theo knew it as well, but Theo was smart, and Liam was sure that everything was going to be okay. 

The second he got one bar of service, he began calling the search party organizer. 

"We found her," he said, out of breath, and still running. "She's hurt, but she's okay, Theo Raeken is with her, he's carrying her out, I ran up ahead to get help." He did his best to give his location, and kept moving forwards. 

The next hour or so felt like a blur. It took a little while to get everyone reunited, but Liam met up with Sarah's parents, and a couple other members of the group who had medical supplies, and blankets, and they headed back the way that Liam had come.

Then, finally, Theo emerged from the shadows, Sarah in his arms, still shaking. 

"Sarah!" Her parents ran forwards, taking her from Theo's arms and enveloping her in a hug, as Liam ran to Theo. 

"You did it," he said, reaching up, putting his hand on Theo's cheek. "You did it, you're safe, she's safe."

Theo just nodded and allowed Liam to pull him into a hug as they waited for the medics to instantly check the girl over. 

"Come here." Liam took Theo's hand as they started heading back to the edge of the preserve, where an ambulance would be waiting to take Sarah back to Beacon Hills Memorial. 

Once they were out, it was close to 4 in the morning, and Liam and Theo were both exhausted. They turned to head to Theo's truck, to go home, but a hand on Liam's shoulder stopped them. 

"You found her."

Sarah's mother was facing them. 

"Oh, no," Liam said. "It was all Theo, I was just...there."

"You saved our little girl," the woman grabbed Theo, hugging him, and Theo stood there, not sure what to do.  
  
Liam just stood there, watching, his head tilted to the side.

"There's a reward," she said as she pulled back. 

"I don't want it," Theo shook his head, turning to Liam. 

"No, me neither,” Liam said quickly. 

"But-" Mrs. Becker looked at them, confused. 

"I'm just glad she's safe," Theo said. "Really, that's all."

"What are your names?"

"Um, I'm Theo," Theo said. "Raeken. This is Liam Dunbar."

"Theo, Liam," she smiled through her tears. "You're heroes. Just...you're absolute heroes. Thank you. There is no way that I will ever, ever be able to thank you enough, that our family will-"

"It's okay." Theo paused. "Look, when I was little, my sister..." he gulped, reaching up and wiping his eyes. "She got lost in the preserve, and she wasn't as lucky, so I'm just...I'm really glad that Sarah's okay. That's all."

"Oh." Mrs. Becker's face fell. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Theo did his best to smile. "Go be with your family.”

"Okay." She nodded. "But if you ever need anything," she looked to Liam. " _ Either _ of you. Just reach out. We owe you everything." With that, she turned, joining her family in the ambulance.

Theo turned away, heading back to the car. 

Once they were both buckled in, Liam looked over at him. 

"Can I come home with you?" he asked softly, not wanting Theo to have to be alone in this.

"Yeah." Theo nodded. "God, we have work in like three hours."

"I really think if we call Kathy and explain..."

"Yeah, no, you're right," Theo gulped. "Um, I'm not...can you drive?"

"Yeah." Liam nodded. "Sure."

They switched places, and Liam blinked a couple of times before taking over the driving. It didn't long to get to Theo's place. Liam insisted Theo shower first, because he looked exhausted, but they were both filthy. While Theo showered, Liam shot out a text to his mother first, then to Kathy explaining the situation, and then finally to Mason to inform him of what was going on, knowing that Mason would tell Corey. 

"Okay, your turn," Theo said, emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Here." He grabbed a pair of sweats and a shirt from the dresser. "These are clean. I left a clean towel on the towel bar for you."

"Okay, thanks." Liam took the clothes. "I texted Kathy, so just...go lie down, I'll be out soon and I can crash on the couch." 

"Okay." Theo nodded, but it was clear that he wasn't really focusing on what the other man was saying, that he was struggling.

Liam opened his mouth to say something, but closed, and went into the bathroom. He set the clothes down on the toilet seat and showered quickly, though he made sure to get all of the dirt off. He put on the sweats and shirt, and folded his dirty clothes and the towel, leaving them in the corner - he'd deal with them later. 

When he emerged, Theo was lying on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

"Hey," Liam walked over. "Are...are you okay?"

"I don't know," Theo admitted. 

"Hey," Liam climbed onto the bed, or really, the floor mattress. "You did it. You saved her, and I know that it doesn't bring your sister back, but you saved her life, Theo. No one else was that far out, and you acted quickly, and you got her out, and she's alive because of you."

"I...I don't think that it's really sunk in yet," Theo admitted, rolling over and looking at him. "But I had to, and then...but she's okay. It's not the same, because she's alive. This time we didn't fail. This time I didn't fuck it up."

"No," Liam smiled a little. "Theo, you're a hero, you heard her mom. You're....I don't even know. There aren't words. You're incredible. You did an incredible thing." 

Theo said nothing, he just leaned in to Liam, and Liam pulled him close. 

They were both exhausted, and in a matter of minutes, both of them were fast asleep, Theo wrapped in Liam's arms, Liam holding him tight. 

They woke several hours later to Theo's phone ringing, Liam's own was dead. 

"Ugh, it's Kathy," Theo said. "Fuck, it's like 9. God, I hope she got your text..." He grabbed the phone and put it on speaker. "Hello?"

"Hi, Theo, I'm so sorry to bother you, I know you had a late night, and don't worry - we have you both covered for the day, my little heroes!" Liam could practically hear her beaming through the phone. "But uh, I just wanted to let you know, there are...a few people that have come in asking if you work here, and I've skirted it, but now there's a local news van, and they want to interview you and Liam-"

"He's here with me, you're on speaker," Theo said. 

"Oh, hi Liam!" Kathy said. "Anyways, there are news people here, and I don't know what you want me to tell them."

"Oh god." Theo raked a hand through his messy hair. "Can you just tell them, like, maybe no? I mean, I'm glad that Sarah's safe, but I don't want media, or publicity or anything."

"Okay, of course," Kathy smiled. "I'll get rid of them, you and Liam just go back to sleep, and if you need tomorrow off too, let me know, we'll make it work, okay? Although, with the reward they were offering, I guess neither of you really need a job anymore, do you?

"Oh, we didn't take the reward, um," Theo bit his lip. "I'll be there tomorrow."

"Me too," Liam cut in. 

"Alright, well if you're sure, I'll see both of you boys tomorrow. I'm so proud of you," she said. "So, so incredibly proud."

"Okay, thanks Kathy."

"Right, sorry, you need to go back to sleep. Goodnight!" 

With that, Kathy hung up, and Theo turned to Liam. 

"I didn't even think," he said. "That reward, it could pay for your mom's car, it-"

"I don't want the money, Theo," Liam said. 

"You sure?" He asked. "I bet they would still let you."

"Do you want it?" 

"No." Theo shook his head. "I remember what it feels like, being that scared and alone, I don't want to take advantage of a family that was panicking, and fearing the worst."

"Me neither." Liam reached out, putting his hand on Theo's shoulder. "Come on. Shut off your phone, let's get more sleep."

"Yeah." Theo nodded. "Sleep sounds...sleep sounds necessary."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific art for this chapter can be found [here!](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634866765605879808/tumblr_numS2Z3pOtbTZpu7K)

By the time they woke up again, Liam honestly wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but the sun was high in the sky, and light was streaming through the window. With a sigh, Liam sat up, looking over at Theo, who, while not waking fully, was stirring.    
  
“Morning,” Theo said, his voice gravelly with sleep.   
  
“Mmmm, no,” Liam shook his head. “I think it’s afternoon.”   
  
“Oh, fuck.” Theo laughed, turning his phone back on. “Yup, it’s 2:30.”   
  
“Makes sense.” Liam stretched, and got up. “Fuck, it’s weird. I feel weird. Can I use your phone charger?”   
  
“Sure.” Theo nodded, handing it over, and Liam plugged it in.   
  
He watched the screen, dark, for several moments until it sprung back to life, alerting him to the fact that he had several missed calls, and about 200 text messages (mostly, thankfully, from Mason).    
  
“Fuck,” Liam sighed. “This...is a big deal. It’ll blow over, but yikes.”   
  
“Yeah.” Theo rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you wanna go get coffee?”   
  
“Um, yeah, sure.” Liam nodded. “Can we swing by my house first so I can get real clothes?”   
  
“Yeah, then **Banshtea** ?” Theo asked. “Corey’ll be on soon, which means I’m sure Mason will be there, so that’ll be good, right?”   
  
“Yeah.”   
  
“Okay, I’ll just get dressed and we can go once your phone has some more juice.”   
  
“Okay.”   
  
It was odd, the two of them going through this process right now when they were both so confused about the world around them, but things were happening, and moving, and Liam wasn’t sure what was going on between the two of them. Things had been so up and down for them lately, for Theo especially, and Liam didn’t know how to read this. It was only weeks before he and Mason headed back to school, and then what?   
  
Nothing, Liam was pretty sure. Whatever happened this summer would stay in the summer, at least for him and Theo, and then he would move on, and that was that.    
  
It had to be, because it wasn’t like he could move things with Theo forwards in an appropriate way in just a few weeks, and he honestly wasn’t sure if Theo wanted that, or if he was just so relieved to be free of Todd, and to have someone to play around with.    
  
Either way, Liam told himself as he started replying to text messages, it was going to be fine.    
  
Theo got dressed, and brushed his teeth, and then took Liam to his place so that he could get presentable. In almost no time, they were at **Banshee** , and it was...strange.    
  
“Oh my GOD,” Corey practically vaulted over the counter when they walked in, and he threw his arms around Theo. “You absolute hero! Look at you! What do you want? On the house,” he teased.    
  
“Just...a chai,” Theo said. “God, please don’t make a big deal of this, it’s not...it was just lucky.”   
  
“Uh huh,” Corey beamed. “I’m proud of you, that has to feel good. After everything?”   
  
“Yeah,” Theo admitted. “I...it does.”   
  
“And you?” Corey looked at Liam. “You were with him?”   
  
Liam shrugged. “Just helping.”   
  
Because how did he explain that? That he was the one that Theo had called for this? That he had spent the night (or rather, the morning and early afternoon) in Theo’s bed? That only a couple days ago, they had been making out against the wall of some banquet hall, and then again in the bed of Theo’s truck?   
  
There was a lot going on right now, and yeah, everything felt kind of messy and confusing.    
  
“Okay, well, two hero chai lattes coming right up,” Corey smiled. “And Mase is getting me a sandwich, but he’ll be back soon. So. You should stick around.”   
  
“We will,” Theo said. “If you stop making such a big deal about it.”   
  
“Fine,” Corey sighed. “Get comfortable, I’ll bring your drinks over.”   
  
“Okay.” Theo sat down at a table, and Liam joined him. “This is weird,” he said. “People are treating me like I’m-”   
  
“A hero?” Liam cut in. “I mean, you kinda are.”   
  
“Well,” Theo said. “I’m used to people treating me like I’m a dirtbag, so it’s weird. You at least have some experience with this, right, Mr. Lacrosse Stud?” He tilted his head to the side. “Because for me, this is totally and completely weird, and I don’t know how I feel about it.”   
  
“You did a good thing,” Liam said. “Let it feel good.”   
  
“I guess I’m just not used to feeling good.”   
  
“And you got the Todd thing out of the way, you found Sarah…” Liam bit his lip. “That’s a lot of good in one week.”   
  
“Well, yeah.” Theo nodded. “That’s true, it is a lot of good.”   
  
“So why do you seem, I don’t know, not so good?”   
  
“Oh, no, I...I think I’m just processing. I mean, I guess I wish that things had ended better for my family like they did for the Becker’s, but at least, you know, it wasn’t doubly awful. At least we didn’t find the body. I was worried about that.”   
  
“Yeah?” Liam looked up at him, his brow furrowed, because honestly, he had wondered about that.    
  
“I mean, it was an option. With a piece of her jacket found in the preserve, we knew that she was there, and since it had been a few days...you know, and she was young. She could have made a mistake, eaten the wrong berry, or something, and-”   
  
“But she didn’t,” Liam said. “She ate the right berries, and she didn’t freeze because it’s summer, and yeah, she fell down a ditch and broke her leg, but  _ you _ heard her cries. You saved her.”   
  
“ _ We _ saved her,” Theo corrected. “I know I was the one pushing it, but I would have broken down without you, I think. If I had been in those woods alone, I would have been thinking about Tara, and I think I would have lost it a little. It was us. We did it together.”   
  
“Well,” Liam shrugged. “As it turns out, we make a pretty good team.”   
  
“Yeah,” Theo smiled. “I guess we do.”    
  
***   
  
"So," Mason said on Thursday evening after picking Liam up from work. They had driven back to Mason's place, and were hanging out in his backyard with some iced tea. "How's being a hero."

"Weird." Liam admitted. 

He didn't feel like a hero, and after realizing that neither Theo nor Liam were interested in talking to the press, the news vans had dissipated. Of course, not before articles circulated about them not taking the reward, and one or two about Theo's sister. 

Just because they weren't stepping into the limelight didn't mean that the story was going away, and it was weird. Really weird. There had been a picture in the paper of Liam with a Lacrosse trophy after winning state their senior year, and an article with a picture of Theo as a child with his sister had gone to press today.

Liam had asked if Theo wanted to talk about it, but Theo had just handed him a spiced mocha and said “maybe later.”

Then, 15 minutes later, when Liam was in the back getting more tea bags, Theo had come up behind him and kissed him. 

That was becoming a pattern with them, as well. They weren't dating, but when they had a moment, they found the time to sneak off, even just for a few seconds, and share a kiss here and there. Every so often, when they knew that they were safe from customers, Theo would reach out and pinch Liam's butt, but never more than that. 

Never anything that they could get in  _ real _ trouble for, but Mason? He still didn't know about any of this. They hadn't talked about the awards banquet, or really anything that had happened after that. 

"It's strange, seeing my best friend's face in the paper," Mason said with a grin. "I mean, it's got to feel good."

"It does," Liam admitted. After his rocky start to the summer, and the shocking amount of dramatic things that he had been a part of, he felt as though he was starting to fall into line with things, and it felt good. 

That being said, the end of his summer break was just a few weeks away, and then everything would change again. It was odd, because he had gone into this summer wanting it to be over as quickly as possible, but now? Now he wasn't sure that he was ready to let everything go. 

"Look, can we talk about something else?" Liam asked. "How are you and Corey."

"In love," Mason sighed. "God, I feel ridiculous. I didn't mean for this to happen, to come home for the summer and fall ass over tea kettle for someone that, technically, I've known for like 12 years, but it happened."

"Yeah, that's...something else." Liam rubbed the back of his neck. 

Mason looked at him, and set his iced tea down on the deck table. He narrowed his eyes, leaning in closer to Liam. 

"What?" Liam asked. 

"You're hiding something." 

"Oh." Liam bit his lip. "Yeah, I guess technically that is...very true." 

"Spill. Spill, Dunbar. Right now. I feel like you've been holding out on me for a couple of days, but I thought maybe it was because of everything that had been going on, but the grace period is over, baby. Spill."

"Okay." Liam paused. "I'm...I don't know, with Theo."

"You're  _ with  _ Theo?"

"No, no, no," Liam backtracked. "I'm not  _ with _ him, with him. Just we've been, I don't know, fooling around."

"Is the sex as good as I want it to be?" Mason asked. 

"Okay, first off, ew. Why have you thought about wanting sex with Theo Raeken to be good? That doesn't make me feel comfortable," he laughed. "And second, you know, I haven't exactly had sex with him yet. But..."

"But?"

"But the making out is good. The sleeping next to him is good."

"I am sorry," Mason said. "You've been making out with him, and sleeping next to him?"

"Well making out a lot, yes, and sleeping next to him happened like once, but it was really, really good," Liam sighed. 

"This is...man." Mason couldn't help but grin. "This is the best turn of events possible! You and Theo?"

"Just friends with benefits," Liam said quickly. 

"Uh huh." 

Mason's skepticism was clear in his tone, and Liam resented that, because he didn't want to have to think about the possibility of this being anything more.

"I'm leaving for school in mere weeks," Liam said. 

"So am I," Mason challenged. "That doesn't change how me and Corey are."

"That's different. You two have had all summer to fall head over heels in love. It's...it's not the same."

"True," Mason said. "But you haven't had sex yet."

"We almost did. Once."

"Doesn't count. If you were just flinging it, you would have gone to pound town, like, multiple times by now."

"Are you saying I'm in love with Theo Raeken?" Liam asked. 

"God, no." Mason shook his head. "I'm just saying, I think it's more than physical, because all things considered, it's not all that physical. I mean, kissing is physical, but it can also be very intimate."

"God." Liam sighed. "Did you ever think _ I  _ would be intimate with  _ Theo Raeken? _ "

"I mean," Mason shrugged. "I can't say that I had really thought about it, but now that it's happening, it sort of makes a lot of sense."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded. 

"Huh." Liam reached for his tea, taking a sip. "It feels weird to me."

"I bet." Mason smiled. "But just enjoy the rest of your summer. We have our drive back east soon."

"That we do."

As they did every year, a week and a half before school started, they were going to pack up Mason's car, and drive east together, stopping here and there to visit relatives, or sight see. Then, Mason would drop Liam off for his final year at Purdue, before continuing on the rest of the way to Yale by himself. It was bittersweet, that this was the last year they would be doing it, but Liam was looking forward to it. 

"It's been a weird summer."

"I'll drink to that." Mason reached out his glass, clinking it against Liam's as they sat back in the California sun. 

Things only became stranger, however, when Liam got home. His mother was sitting at the kitchen table, very clearly waiting for him. 

"Mom?" Liam asked. 

"Sit, honey," she said with a smile. "I wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Okay..." Liam bit his lip, but he took a seat. He had no idea what was coming, but there had been some weird conversations with his mother all summer long, and he was assuming that this was another one. 

"It's nothing bad, Liam,” she said. "I've talked to your stepfather, and we have decided that, between your job, all of the things that you've learned this summer, and putting in the time to save that little girls' life, if you would like to be done working, and enjoy the last few weeks of your summer, job free, you can do that. I've already spoken to Kathy, and the guy you're replacing-"

"Josh," Liam filled in. 

"Sure," She nodded. "But she thinks his classes are through, and he may be able to come back a little early, meaning you could be done."

"And..." Liam bit his lip, thinking about  **Banshee** . He thought about the shop, and how nice it smelled, and he thought about how fucking tired he was when he walked in the door in the morning, and how he found himself sweating no matter what...and he thought about Theo. He thought about how they had been sneaking off to little corners, smiling, sharing kisses, little touches, and how he didn't think that he was quite ready to lose that. "And if I don't want to quit early?" Liam asked. 

"Oh." Jenna looked genuinely surprised by that. "Then any money you make is yours. You can consider the Prius paid off. You're free."

"Okay." Liam nodded. "I think I'll keep the job, I mean, I could use the money," he said quickly. 

"And this wouldn't have anything to do with the boy?"

"What?" Liam laughed awkwardly. "What boy?"

"Theo? The one you've been spending time with lately? The one you rescued the Becker girl with?" 

"Um..." Liam knew better than to lie to his mom. It was like lying to Mason - sometimes he was allowed to get away with it, but they always, always knew. "Maybe a little."

"Are you being safe?"

"YES!" Liam's eyes widened. "We're not even, we're just-"

"Okay, alright, I trust you," she said with a laugh. "I want you to have a fun summer, Liam. Just sitting across the table from you right now, you've grown up so much these last two months. I see a different man than I did when you came home. I mean, just a few weeks ago you were sitting on the sofa, whining about how unfair it was that you had to get a job, and now you don't want to quit?"

Liam shrugged. 

"I'm just proud of you, that's all." She stood up, and kissed the top of his head. "You're turning into a very, very impressive young man."

"Can I ask you something?" he asked. 

"Of course. Anything."

"Were you worried that I wasn't going to mature? That I would stay a selfish little boy forever?"

"No." She shook her head. "I didn't know how long it would take you, but I knew that you would get there."

"Okay." Liam smiled. "Thank you for that."

"Hey, you did all the hard work," she said. "I'm just pointing it out."

Liam nodded, letting his mom leave the kitchen. He leaned back in his chair, and pulled his phone out, texting Theo. 

**You wanna do something tonight?**

**_I thought you were hanging with Mason._ **

**I was. Just got home.**

**_I can't tonight, I'm sorry. I told Corey, Tracy and Josh I'd hang out with them. I'd invite you, but..._ **

**Josh hates me.**

**_Pretty much, yup. Working on it, though._ **

**You are?**

**_Yeah. You're not the dick you used to be. He could handle learning that._ **

**Thanks.**

**_No worries. See you at work tomorrow!_ **

Liam didn't reply. He merely went up to his room and lay back, turning the TV on, but not really paying attention to it. 

Was his mother right? Had he really changed that much over the course of a few weeks? And more immediately concerning, was _ Mason _ right? 

Was he falling in love with Theo Raeken?


	16. Chapter 16

The week came to a close with an old man getting hit by a bus, and just like that, Theo and Liam were no longer front page news, or really even news at all. 

Liam noticed the way that Theo's shoulders were visibly relaxed on Monday, their first day without appearing in the paper, and honestly, he couldn't help but agree with that feeling. It hadn't been as difficult for him, of course. He hadn't had his bad memories stamped all over the stories, but he still was glad that people weren't coming in all of the time to take pictures with the heroes.

All weekend, Liam had been working up the nerve to ask Theo to hang out. He had almost texted him on Saturday, but had chickened out, as he remembered that Theo hadn't even tried to schedule something else when Liam had asked him to chill on Thursday. 

It had been over a week since they had spent the night together, and Liam couldn't help but feel like he wanted that again. They were still sneaking kisses in the workplace, but they hadn't done anything outside of  **Banshee** since last Monday. 

"Hey," Liam said during the 10:30 lull. He did his best to make himself seem casual, leaning against the counter as though it were anything, and really, it was. They weren't dating. He wasn't asking him out, just to hang. "What are you doing after work?" he asked. 

"I was gonna go get the oil in the truck changed," Theo said. 

"Oh." Liam bit his lip. 

"But after that, nothing."

"Oh." Liam brightened a little. "Did you wanna do something?"

"Sure," Theo nodded, slinging the rag that he had been using to wipe down some mugs over his shoulder. "What did you have in mind?"

"Uh..." Okay, so maybe Liam hadn't quite gotten that far. "Pizza? Movie?"

"Aggressive making out on my sofa?" Theo raised an eyebrow. 

"I mean..." Liam laughed. "If that were to be the natural progression of things, I would not say no..."

"Okay." Theo smiled. "Sounds fun. I should be home by 5:45. You bring pizza, I'll pick up some beer on the way home."

"Yeah, no, perfect," Liam said quickly. 

"Alright. See you tonight."

"Yeah, cool."

Liam turned back to the counter, wiping it down, despite the fact that it was spotless. Theo seemed so chill about all of this, and Liam knew that meant that he needed to chill out about it, too, but he couldn't help being excited. 

Then again, he told himself, who wouldn't be? Theo was hot, and they had a good chemistry.  _ Physical _ chemistry. That was all. He was looking to hook up, maybe get laid, and that was it. 

He told himself this again and again, even as he stood outside of Theo's door, the pizza in one hand, knocking with the other. 

"Good timing," Theo said as he opened the door. "I just got home like, five minutes ago."

"Nice." Liam smiled. He entered, and set the pizza down on the small end table by the couch. 

"You want a beer?" 

"Sure."

Theo popped open two beers and headed over, sitting on the couch. 

They started off each taking a piece of pizza, and discussing what to watch, but Theo never got his laptop, and soon, Netflix was far from Liam's mind. 

"I can't believe you're gonna be a history teacher," Theo said, after the pizza was finished, and they were each on their third beer. "I mean, that just seems so...not what I had pictured."

"Well, we'll see," Liam sighed. "I haven't heard back from the grad program I would need, and-"

"You'll get in," Theo said with a smile. 

"I hope so."

"You will." He nudged him. "You're a hero!"

"Oh shut up." Liam laughed, swatting at him. 

"Alright, alright. But it's...I don't know, everything is weird now. It's different. I don't think anyone is gonna give me shit about killing Tara again, and Todd is sufficiently out of my life...it's been a fucking crazy summer."

"You can say that again." Liam paused. "Are you happy?"

"What?" 

"Are you happy?" Liam asked again. 

"God." Theo sighed. "I don't know. I don't think so. I think it's been so long since I was actually, truly happy, that I don't really know what that feels like."

"Well that's fucking depressing," Liam stated. 

"I mean, I guess." Theo shrugged. "But I'm better. I'm not as miserable as I was before, and I think, in a lot of ways, I'm healing. What about you?" he asked. "Are  _ you _ happy?"

"No," Liam admitted. "But like you said, I'm...progressing. I learned a lot this summer."

"Me too." Theo gazed at Liam, then set his beer down on the coffee table.

Liam didn't have to be told twice what the look Theo was giving him meant, and he set down his own beer. In moments, Theo was pulling him close, kissing him, long, deep. 

The kiss intensified, hands began to wander, and after a few moments, Theo sat up. 

"Bed?" he asked. 

"Bed." Liam nodded. 

Liam had assumed that they would walk there, but as soon as Theo stood, he reached for Liam and picked him up. Theo wasn't  _ that _ much bigger than he was, but god, he was strong, and Liam couldn't deny that there was something insanely sexy about being carried over to the bed, and thrown down onto the mattress. 

With Theo over him once again, and Liam reached for the hem of his shirt to pull it off, but Theo stopped him. 

"Don't."

"Oh." Liam gulped. "God, sorry, I thought-"

"No, I mean..." Theo looked away from Liam. "It's just...I don't take my shirt off when I..."

"Oh." Liam nodded. "Okay, yeah, that's fine."

"You can take yours off, I don't like, have an issue with shirtlessness, I just don't look good with mine off."

"Okay, I don't believe that for a second. I can see your arms. I've felt  _ under _ your shirt, I-"

"Drop it." Theo's tone went icy, and for a moment, Liam frowned. 

And then it dawned on him. Tara's heart, Theo's transplant.

"Your scar."

"Yeah," Theo admitted. "A big, ugly, long, stupid, scar, and it just-"

Liam cut Theo off by leaning in, kissing him. This wasn't a kiss that was intended to head towards sex. Liam's hand was on Theo's cheek, his eyes were closed, and he kissed him like he cared. 

"What was that for?"

"I won't think that your scar is ugly," Liam said softly. "Todd was an idiot. You can leave your shirt on, I won't push it, I'm just letting you know. It isn't gonna change my attraction to you."

"You say that now, but-"

"Theo," Liam looked at him. "I _ know  _ that it won't change it."

"Okay." Theo bit his lip, then sat up. He was straddling Liam, his knees bracketing the sides of Liam's body. He paused for a beat, then carefully, slowly, removed his shirt. 

Liam gasped. 

"I told you," Theo reached to put his shirt back on, but Liam grabbed it, stopping him. 

"No, you're just...I mean, I knew you'd look good shirtless, but  _ wow _ ."

"Shut up."

"I mean it." Liam reached out, tracing his fingers down Theo's defined abs. "You have a fucking  _ sex _ ‘v.’"

"Oh my god." Theo reached down, practically ripping Liam's shirt off of his body. 

Since he had stopped playing lacrosse, he had lost some of his muscular definition, and his chest was hairier than it had been when he was in high school, but he still worked out, he still kept in shape, and he wasn't ashamed of the way that he looked. 

"Not bad," Theo said with a smile. 

"Okay, now  _ you _ shut up." Liam grabbed Theo, pulling the other man back on top of him as they made out. 

Slowly, the rest of their clothes were shed, and they were in Theo's bed, skin to skin, sweat beginning to form as they continued to make out, hands wandering. Liam flipped them, so that he was on top of Theo, and he smiled down at him before catching his lips in a quick kiss. After he broke away, he let them trail down the side of Theo's jaw, his neck, to the very center of his throat, then to just below that, where Theo's surgery scar began. 

Carefully, gently, he pressed his lips to the top of Theo's scar. 

Theo gasped, and Liam looked up, to make sure that Theo was alright with this, but he couldn't see his eyes. Theo was lying with his head back, his eyes closed, and one hand reaching out. He gently threaded the reached out hand through Liam's hair, holding it there, but not pulling. 

Liam leaned back in, once again touching his lips to Theo's scar, then kissing down it, all the way to the bottom. When he was finished, he moved back up to Theo, and kissed his neck, just behind his ear. 

"You are stunning," he whispered.  
  
Theo drew Liam back in, and the two of them melted together, exploring every part of each other's bodies, connecting in a way that Liam had never expected he would connect with Theo Raeken.    
  
***

"What are you thinking about?" Theo asked. 

They had finished, changed the sheets, and showered, and now they were back in Theo's bed, still naked, and just lying there. 

"Just..." Liam shrugged. "How this summer was nothing like I thought it would be."

"I gotta admit, I didn't see this string of events coming, either," Theo admitted. He put his hand on Liam's cheek, and turned the other man's head so that they were face to face. He then leaned in, kissing him long, deep. 

When they pulled away, Liam was studying Theo with a serious expression. 

"What?" Theo asked. 

"I'm going back to school in just a couple of weeks," Liam said softly. "Mason and I are driving cross country, he's dropping me off."

"So let's have fun for the next couple of weeks, and then you'll go off to school, and become some big, fancy history teacher-"

"I don't think big, fancy, history teacher is a thing," Liam said with a laugh.

"Alright, then you'll become a history teacher, and it will be good." Theo smiled. 

"And what about you?" Liam asked. 

"I'll keep managing at **Banshtea** , and hanging out here, it's not a bad life, Liam. Sure, it's no graduate ed program, but it's a good life. A lot better than I could have had."

"Is it the life that you want?" Liam asked. 

"You know what?" Theo nodded. "At least for now, it is, and if that changes, then it changes, but you know what? I will deal with that when it happens. I won't let Todd tell me that my job isn't good enough. Not when it makes me happy."  This time, it was Liam who leaned in for the kiss. 

"You wanna stay?" Theo asked as Liam pulled back. 

"Hmmm?"

"The night. Do you want to stay the night?" he asked. "You know, since we had a few beers and all."

"Oh." Liam nodded. "Yeah, sure, thanks."

"C'mere." Theo put an arm around Liam, yawned, and snuggled in against him. "Thank you. For saying what you did about my scar. It...it's made me nervous. It's made me really, really nervous, because I know how noticeable it is, and then people ask about it, but you already knew..."

"It's a part of you," Liam said. "It's a part of you, and your past, and your life. I hate to admit that if I had known about it in high school, I probably would have been a dick about it, but I'm smarter now. Kinder."

"Yes, you certainly are." Theo sighed. "God, I hated you so much in high school."

"I know." Liam sighed. "I sort of hated you, too."

"Oh, believe me, I know." Theo smiled, and leaned in, kissing him on the jaw. "Go to sleep. You look worn out."

"Yeah, well, someone gave me a good workout," Liam said with a smile. 

"Good to know I've still got it." Theo snuggled in, and closed his eyes, falling asleep next to Liam. 

Liam stayed awake a little while longer, and thought about everything that was going to happen, and everything that had already happened. How had he gotten here? How had  _ this _ become the life that he was living? He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let himself really take in the feeling of being close to Theo. It felt good, and as he fell asleep, he couldn't help but think that, yeah, he  _ was _ feeling better. He was feeling happier.


	17. Chapter 17

Liam forgot about his bike entirely. 

Theo had fully adjusted to picking Liam up in the mornings, and he no longer asked if the guy needed a ride. Hell, half the time these days, they were both leaving from Theo's apartment anyways. 

They were having fun with the time that they had left, and Liam was really enjoying the last few weeks of his summer. Mason would pick him up after work, and the two of them would hang out, and then when Corey was off shift, Mason would drop Liam off either at home or at Theo's, and they would both spend time with their Banshee Boys.

"There's no one here, you know," Liam said, looking at Theo. It was close to 3:30, and they were completely void of customers. 

"Dunbar," Theo said. "Are you propositioning me?"

"Maybe." Liam smiled and leaned up, kissing Theo softly. 

Theo put his arms around Liam's waist, and it wasn't vulgar, they weren't pawing at each other, just kissing, but it was distracting enough that neither of them heard the bell above the door as someone came in. 

"UNPROFESSIONAL!" A hand slammed down on the counter in front of them, and Theo and Liam jumped apart. 

"Oh, you ass!" Liam grinned at his best friend. "I am gonna kill you!"

"Hey," Mason shrugged. "You were the ones making out, I saw my chance, I had to take it. That's what best friends are for."

"Fair enough." Liam smoothed down his apron. "What can I get you?"

"Iced vanilla latte?"

They were planning to finalize the details for their road trip after work, and Liam was both excited, and apprehensive. It was only a few days away at this point, and they had most of the logistics worked out, but there were a few details that they needed to hammer down. 

The thought of this summer ending was bitter sweet. Would Liam be returning to school with a renewed vigor? Yes, but at the same time, he was going to miss this coffee shop, the dynamic that he and Mason had fallen into this summer, and against his better judgment, yes. 

He was going to miss Theo. 

Once Corey had rushed in (a couple minutes late, as per usual), and Mason had given him a quick kiss, he and Liam were on their way. In no time, they were sitting at Mason's kitchen table, going over everything.

"Okay," Mason said. "I've confirmed all of the motel reservations, so we should be good. We'll stop to visit my aunt and uncle in Colorado first, then your cousins in Minnesota...then the dinosaurs in Wisconsin, then the flying monkeys - and you’re not paying attention. Liam?" Mason frowned. "Earth to Liam..."

"Huh?" Liam jumped a little, and looked over at Mason. "What?"

"Where's your head at?" Mason asked. 

"Nowhere, just tired."

"Really?" Mason asked. "Because if I had to guess, I would guess that this has something to do with that total stud muffin you were making out with at  **Banshee** earlier."

"No, no." Liam shook his head. "Well, maybe a little."

"Have you guys talked about what happens when summer is over?" Mason asked. 

"Yeah, I mean, sort of. We decided to have fun this summer, we're not together."

"You were all pressed up against each other at  **Banshee** ," Mason shrugged. "I dunno, you looked pretty couple-y to me."

"Yeah, well, we're not a couple."

"But...you want to be."

"No, I mean, it's not practical. I'm about to be 2000 miles away, and then who knows where after that, you know? And he's here. He likes his job, and...we're just not a couple. We're not going to be."

"Was this a bad idea?" Mason asked, his tone soft. "Are you going to get your heart broken?"

"No, I knew what I was getting into," Liam said. "It's fine. It's just sex. And kissing."

"And long 2 AM talks about feelings, and your pasts?"

"Like, once or twice that happened. Usually not."

"You've bonded with him."

"I've bonded with you, you don't see me pining for your skinny ass."

"Like hell you don't," Mason teased. "I just know that every night we're apart, you lean out your window and sing that song from Fievel."

"Oh my god." Liam laughed, reaching across the table and punching Mason lightly in the arm. "You are the worst."

"I'm sorry, you opened the door, I just had to walk through it." 

"Fair enough."

"So," he said. "What I was saying, we're going to go visit my aunt and uncle in Colorado, and then we'll hit up your cousins in Minnesota after that."

"Sounds good."

Liam was glad that the conversation had devolved back into talk of their trips, and not his very confusing, not to mention surprising, feelings for Theo Raeken, because at the crux of it, Mason was right. Mason was  _ always _ right, and it was frustrating, especially when it was stuff like this, stuff that he just wanted to ignore, and not deal with. 

But summer was ending soon, and Liam knew better than to try and define anything with Theo. He knew where the other man stood, the line had been clear. They were just having fun, and Liam intended to do that. Just because he was having fun didn't mean he had to get hurt. He could lean into it, really enjoy himself, and that was exactly what he intended to do. 

He and Mason spent the next few hours making sure that they were on the same page with everything, and it was nice. Liam was eager to do their final road trip before college was over, and the more he thought about all of the things they were going to do, and all of the family they were going to see, the more that Theo, and the thoughts of leaving him behind, drifted from his mind. It was a summer fling, and that was good. He had needed that. He had come into this summer feeling lost, disjointed, and pretty lonely. Being with Theo had renewed some of his confidence and self assuredness. Even with the car accident, he was feeling better than he had at the beginning. 

It had been good for him, and he knew it.   
  
***   
  
"Hey, can I talk to you for like, 16 seconds?" Corey asked, pulling Liam aside just before he left work. 

"That is...an oddly specific number."

"No, I just mean - here." He yanked him into the back, where it was just the two of them. 

"What's going on?" Liam asked, concerned. "Did you hear from Todd, or-"

"Oh, god, no, nothing like that." Corey shook his head. "Theo's four year anniversary of working at  **Banshtea** is next week, and he doesn't like to celebrate his birthday, so we celebrate that. We're having a little surprise thing for him here, Kathy's in on it so it's okay - it's just gonna be you, me, Mason, Kathy, Tracy, and Josh, well and Theo of course." Corey smiled. "And we've sort of got it all figured out, except we need someone to bring him. Since you two have been spending your nights together..."

"Oh." Liam flushed. He wasn't really sure why he was surprised that Corey knew that, but...it made a lot of sense. "Yeah, I'm sure I can do that. When?"

"It's at 9:45 next Thursday, so you know, we have enough time to close and set up? Do you think that will work?"

"Yeah. We already have plans to hang out, so I'm sure I can figure it out."

"Okay, great." Corey smiled. "Thanks."

"Anytime." 

Friday was Liam's last day at  **Banshee** , and the next day, he and Mason would be setting off on their road trip, so he supposed that it would be nice for them to spend that time together, as a group, but a part of him was a little bit miffed that he would be losing out on some of his last few hours with Theo. 

Still, there were a few days between now and then, and Liam and Theo had really been making it count. They had gone from spending some nights together to spending every night together, and they had fallen into a routine. They would go to Theo's place, get food, make out, have sex, and then fall asleep. They'd wake up, have a quick breakfast together, and go to work. 

By this point, they were spending all but a few hours after work together - time that Liam spent with Mason, and Theo spent doing, well, Liam didn't actually  _ know _ what Theo did during their time apart, because when he was with Theo, he was too focused on the present to ask.

He wouldn't admit that he had gotten used to the feeling of Theo's arms around him as they curled up in bed together every night, that he was starting to grow accustomed to waking up, first to the blaring of Theo's alarm clock, and second, to kisses. Mornings were easier with Theo. He didn't feel so tired when he had someone else to get ready with, someone else to talk to while he got dressed, someone to shower with, someone who slapped his ass while he was brushing his teeth. It was nice, it was fun, and he would deny to anyone who asked just how  _ domestic _ it really was. 

They were just two guys enjoying each other's company until the summer ended, and that end? It was coming up fast. 

Liam's last week at  **Banshee** flew by, and before he knew it, it was Thursday night. The next day would be his final day behind the counter, and then he would be off on his road trip. He had spent the few hours after work packing, getting his things together to leave on Saturday. 

"Oh, fuck." Liam pulled away from Theo as they made out on his couch. Theo had just put his hand up Liam's shirt, a sign that things were about to head bed-wards. 

"What? Is everything okay?"

"No, I mean, yeah, I just think I left my watch at work."

"Okay," Theo smiled, leaning in, pecking Liam on the lips. "We'll get it tomorrow."

"It's..." Liam sighed. "God, promise you won't make fun of me?"

"No, I can’t promise that," Theo shook his head. "Never."

"It was my grandfather's watch, and he gave it to me when I turned 18, and-"

"And you need to get it now, because you're worried."

"Pretty much." Liam gulped. "I'm so sorry, do you mind?"

"No, I guess not." Theo shook his head. "I mean, would I rather focus on taking things  _ off _ of you, than going to find more things for you to put on? Yes. But I get it."

"It won't take long," Liam promised, already going to lace up his shoes. 

"You're ridiculous, you know that?" Theo asked as he put on his own shoes and grabbed his jacket and keys. 

"I know. I'm sorry."

Liam  _ had _ left his watch at work. He had done it on purpose, because he was worried that Theo would somehow ferret out the lie, or find the watch, if he didn't tell the truth, and soon, they were pulling up outside of Banshee. 

"Huh," Theo frowned. "The lights on. I bet Mason came by, and is distracting Corey while he closes. Again."

"Sounds like Mason," Liam said, discreetly texting Mason as he got out of the car. "You coming?" he asked Theo. 

"Aren't you just gonna run in and grab it?" Theo asked. 

"I mean, I'm not exactly sure  _ where _ I left it, can you help me look?"

"Um, okay..." Theo shrugged and killed the engine, getting out of the car. "You know, you should be more careful with things that-"

"SURPRISE!"

As they opened the door, everyone jumped out, and  _ someone _ shot at them with Silly String. 

"HAPPY BANSHTEAVERSARY!" Tracy yelled at the top of her lungs, identifying herself as the Silly String shooter as she sprayed more at them. 

Corey jammed a trucker hat onto Theo's head that read BANSHTEAVERSARY BOY, clearly made by himself (and judging by the puff paint and glitter, possibly some of his summer camp charges). 

Two of the tables had been pushed together, and covered with snacks, while a clearly very handmade cake sat on the counter. 

"You knew about this?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"I mean, yeah," Liam smiled. "It was my job to get you here."

"And your watch?"

"Safely in my locker in the back." Liam grinned. 

"You absolute shit!" Theo shoved him playfully, as he removed the hat to inspect it. "Oh, god." He laughed before putting it back on. 

It was, after all, truly awful.   
  
It was shocking how, even at a small party like this, Liam managed to find himself up against the wall with a cup of punch in his hand, watching. 

Mason and Corey were sitting at a table together, both of them on the same side. They had a plate with two slices of cake between them, and Liam smiled to himself as Corey reached out, running his finger through the frosting on one piece, and dotting Mason's nose with it. Both boys laughed, Mason shrieking slightly, as Corey leaned in, licking the frosting off. What became a little moment turned into a long, passionate kiss, and Liam could tell that his best friend was not only in love, but probably the happiest that he had ever seen him. 

At the beginning of the summer, he couldn't have guessed that. Even when Mason had told him that he thought Corey was cute, and saw them flirting at that first party, he hadn't seen this coming. Mason was head over heels in love with Corey Bryant, and it hit Liam just how quickly things could change. It had really only been a few weeks, and Mason's life, it seemed, like his, had been changed forever. 

And then there was Theo. He had a chicken skewer in one hand, and was reaching for Tracy with the other, to try and grab the can of silly string from her. 

"JOSH! HELP!" Tracy screeched as Theo made a grab for it. 

"I got you." Josh grabbed Theo around the middle, pulling him backwards. 

All three of them were laughing, and Liam was pretty sure that, at the beginning of the summer, Theo hadn't been capable of that, of having  _ this _ much fun. It was a looser side of him, and his guard seemed down. He seemed good in a way that he hadn't before, and if Liam hadn't known how much damage he had carried inside of him before, he would have suspected that this young man didn't have a care in the world. 

Sure, there were things that Theo still had to work through, but he was working through them, and that had changed this summer, too. 

"Hey there."

Liam turned as Kathy moved to stand next to him. "I'm gonna head out here in a minute, this party should not be supervised by an adult the whole time, and I trust you not to destroy my cafe, but I wanted to give you this." Kathy held a bag out to Liam.

"It's Theo's party, not mine," Liam said, though he took the bag that was offered.

"I know." She smiled. "And the card with cash in it that I tucked into his locker will let him know that, but this is for you."

"Thanks." Liam reached into the bag, pulling out a rolled up black apron. He unfurled it, and smiled. It was a classic  **Banshee Coffee & Tea** apron, but in the top right corner, was his name, stitched the same way that Theo, Corey, and Tracy had theirs. "You know that tomorrow's my last day, right?" He asked with a smile. 

"So wear it tomorrow," Kathy shrugged. "Then hang on to it. You'll be back for winter break, you never know, we might need you to fill in. You'll always have a job here if you want one, Li. I know it's not your plan, or your dream, but it's here. If you need it, or if you want it."

"Thank you." Liam rolled the apron up and tucked it back into the bag. 

"Have a good school year, Liam," she said. "You've done great work here this summer."

"My coffee game is mediocre at best," he retorted. 

"Good work isn't always making lattes." She looked out at the scene in front of them. "You brought Mason to Corey, and I've never seen Theo like this. I've known the kid four years, and I've never seen him this happy."

"Well that-"

"It was you," she said with a smile. "You know that we have security cameras in the shop, right? Just in case?"

"Oh god." Liam's eyes widened. "We-"

"You were fine," she said. "You were careful not to do anything gross, or anything when customers were around, but I was going over some of the tapes, and I may have caught a smooch or two..."

"Don't tell my mom. I mean, she knows about - but just, that I was...at work?"

"I won't tell anyone," she said. "As long as you continue to be very tasteful, and continue to make Theo happy."

"Oh, we're not..." Liam bit his lip. "I'll do my best."

"There you go." Kathy smiled at Liam. "He's a good kid, and so are you. Take care, Dunbar. I'll make sure your mom gets your last paycheck to you if I don't see you tomorrow."

"Thanks." Liam nodded. "See ya!"

He watched Kathy leave, and set the bag with the apron in it down. He'd grab it before he left.

"Hey, Liam!" Tracy cried. "Get over here! Help Theo out, he's outnumbered!"

Liam smiled and set his drink down before jumping into the fray, grabbing the Silly String can from Tracy, and spraying it at Josh in an attempt to help get Theo free of the other man. 

It may have been a small party, but even Josh was being friendly, and Liam couldn't help but admit that it was a lot of fun. 

"Okay," Theo sighed after a couple of hours. "You all suck, and I love you, but I have to be up very, very early tomorrow, so-"

"Go, you and Liam go," Corey said from where he was leaning against Mason. "We'll clean up." 

"Yeah?" Theo asked. 

"Mhmm." Corey smiled. 

"Okay." Theo took up the little gifts that his friends had brought, and reached for Liam's hand. 

"That was one hell of a party, huh?" Liam laughed. 

"Whoever gave Tracy Silly String...I swear to god."

"I think that we both know that  _ Tracy _ gave Tracy Silly string."

"You are absolutely right." Theo sighed. "But thanks. I know you had a hand in that, and it was really nice; a lot of fun."

"You look really good in that hat, too," Liam said. "I think when we get home, you should rock the hat, and nothing  _ but _ the hat."

"Oh, that's a weird kink," Theo laughed. 

"Hey, just spitting out ideas."  
  
“You are, by far, the most interesting person I’ve ever slept with,” Theo mused as he began driving them back to his place.    
  
"But that's good, right?" Liam asked. 

"Yeah." Theo nodded. "It makes things memorable."

Liam smiled to himself at that. Theo thought that he was memorable, and it seemed like that was in a good way. 

By the time they got back to Theo's place, they were both too tired to have sex, so they undressed and fell asleep in each other's arms, both dreading the alarm that would be going off far sooner than they would have liked. 

Liam was anxious for his last day at  **Banshee** ...and his last day with Theo. Once he left, it was over. He knew that, but that didn't mean that he wanted it. 

***

“Hey, when did you get that?" Theo asked as Liam tied his new apron around his waist. 

"Kathy gave it to me last night," he said. "When she said that I would always have a job here if I wanted one."

"And just when I thought that I was getting rid of you," Theo said with a laugh. 

Liam forced a laugh, but honestly, he wasn't feeling it. Theo was right. This was it for them. It was their last day working together, and tonight would likely be the last time that they slept together. Liam couldn't even stay the night, because he had to be up and ready to head out with Mason early the next day, so his hours with Theo, their time together, was winding down, and it felt weighted. 

If Theo was feeling any of the same, he wasn't showing it, though, and that served as a reminder to Liam of what this was. It was just fun, two men enjoying each other's company, and then it was ending. It was over, and that would be that. He knew, though, in the back of his mind, that this summer, more than all the others, would be one that he would remember for the rest of his life. 

It was difficult, though, not to think about how this was the last spiced Mocha that Theo was going to make for him for a while, possibly forever. When Theo pulled him aside in the back to kiss him, Liam couldn't help but think about how that was the last time they were going to do that here, or possibly at all. 

A few of the customers that he had gotten to know expressed sadness that it was his last day, though when they were informed that it meant Josh would be returning, they usually perked right up. Josh was a nice guy, and though he and Liam hadn't exactly gotten along at the beginning, and they still weren't friends. Josh had seemed warmer towards him at the party the night before, and he could see why the customers liked him. 

Honestly, he could see why  **Banshee** was as popular as it was. Everyone who worked there was different than he had expected, and they were all equally charming. He liked it, he liked  _ them _ , and he was going to be sad to leave it all behind. 

"Well," Theo said with a smile. "I guess it's time to hang up your apron, huh?"

"At least until winter break," Liam said with a smile. "I can cover a shift or two, if need be."

"I'm sure everyone will love to have a pinch hitter." Theo smiled. "Is Mason picking you up?"

"Not today." He shook his head. "Josh is covering Corey, they're spending the day together. I thought maybe we could spend some time together, you know, since I can't sleep at your place tonight."

"Oh, yeah that's right," Theo nodded. "Sure, we can do that."

They handed over the coffee shop to Tracy and Josh, and Liam made sure that he had all of his things out of his locker. He smiled as he left, wondering if most people got attached to their summer jobs like this. He thought that they probably didn't, and he couldn't deny how lucky he had been to wind up at Banshee for his first real work experience. 

"So, what do you want to do?" Theo asked. 

"Go to the beach? I'm gonna miss the beach for sure when I'm in land-locked Indiana."

"You got it."

Theo started driving towards the coast. The ride there was comfortable, but quiet. There wasn't a lot of talking, and Liam wondered if there just wasn't really anything left to say. However, when they got to the beach, and Liam stripped down to his boxers to go into the ocean, he noticed that Theo did the same, removing his t-shirt. 

He knew how self-conscious Theo was about his transplant scar, and he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, he had a little something to do with the confidence that Theo now had, to be able to remove his shirt on a crowded, public beach. 

They swam in the ocean...they made out in the ocean, they lounged on the beach, they got dinner from a taco truck, and watched as the sun set, sitting in the sand together. 

"You excited for your last year of school?" Theo asked. 

"I guess." Liam shrugged. "I mean, it's school. It's not my favorite thing."

"Don't you want to be a teacher?" Theo snorted. "That means life long school."

"Nah, it'll be different when I'm the one teaching," Liam said with a confidence that he wasn't really sure was merited. 

"Fair enough."

"I had a good summer, though." Liam turned, looking right at Theo. 

In turn, Theo looked at Liam as well, then leaned forwards, kissing him softly. 

"I had a good summer, too."

Theo put his arm around Liam, and they watched the waves crash on the sand. They watched the sun disappear behind the ocean, and Liam leaned into Theo, his head resting on his shoulder. 

Was he in love? Was this what love felt like? He had been in love before, with Hayden, and it hadn't felt like this, so he told himself that this was just, well, him and Theo. It was nice, it was fun, and then it would be over.    
  
In just a few hours, it would be over. 

"Wanna go back to your place?" Liam said finally. "I have a couple of hours before I need to be home, I think."

"You know," Theo bit his lip. "Maybe let's not."

"What?" Liam was surprised. 

"This is nice. It's starting to cool down a little, it's a beautiful night, the stars are visible...let's just stay here a little while longer. Don't worry, I'll take you home in time to have plenty of sleep. I know you have to do half of the driving."

"Oh."  
  
Theo didn't want to have sex one more time? He just wanted to sit here on the beach together? 

Liam wasn't sure what that meant. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. If he had known that Wednesday night would have been the last time they would have sex, he probably would have tried a little harder to make it special, but then again, why should he? They were friends with benefits. The sex didn't have to be special. Nothing about it had to be special. 

And yet, as he moved just a little closer to Theo, the other man's arm tightening around him, he couldn't help but think that  _ this _ felt special. 

He wondered if Theo felt it, too, and he wondered, against his will, if he was falling in love.

***   
  
"Okay, that's everything," Liam said, wiping his sweaty hands off on his jean shorts as he loaded his last bag into the trunk of Mason's car. 

It was 8 in the morning, and they were scheduled to take off pretty soon. Corey had driven over to Liam's to see them off, and he and Mason were leaning up against the side of the car. Mason's back was resting against the vehicle, and Corey was in his arms. They were alternating between kissing and whispering to each other, and Liam could tell that both of them had been crying. 

He understood that. They were in love, and they were about to be apart for several months after spending at least a part of every day together. He had cried when Hayden had left, though that had been different. That had been forever, but still. He understood the emotion. 

"Hey," Mason reached out, cupping Corey's face in his hands. "Don't cry, baby." He wiped some of the tears from Corey's cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "I will FaceTime you every day, and we will text and talk constantly, okay? I'll be back before you know it." He spoke with confidence, though his own eyes were glistening with tears as well. 

Corey nodded, and Mason leaned in, kissing him. 

Liam looked around. His mom and stepdad were standing in the doorway, watching as Liam and Mason packed up the car, but a part of Liam had been hoping that Theo would show up, to say goodbye, to see him off. Last night, when Theo had dropped Liam off, he had kissed him, said "See you later" and that was it. He had driven off.

Liam had told himself that it didn't hurt, that that was a normal way for fuck buddies to end their summer fling, and he was fine with it. 

Except very deep down, he was pretty sure that he wasn't, and watching Mason's tearful goodbye with Corey wasn't exactly helping, so he went back up on the porch to say goodbye to his mom and David. 

"Drive safely," Jenna said. "No texting while driving, do you hear me?"

"I know, I know." Liam rolled his eyes, but he was smiling nonetheless. "Don't worry, I learned my lesson."

In truth, he had learned a lot of lessons this summer, and he was pretty sure that his mother was aware of that. 

"I love you." She wrapped him in a hug. "Call every-"

"Every night, I know, I know. I'll make sure you know we're safe, okay?"

"Okay." She kissed the top of his head, smiling as she pulled back. "I'll see you for Winter break."

"You know it." He winked, and headed for the car. "Yo, Mase. Time to go."

"I know." Mason sighed as he pulled away from Corey. "I love you, baby, and I'll call you from the motel tonight, okay?"

"Okay." Corey stole one last kiss from Mason. "I love you, too."

Mason gave Corey a final hug before getting into the driver's seat. 

Liam did his best not to look at Corey as they started the car. Corey was waving them off, and Liam knew, even without looking, that there were tears streaming down his cheeks. He also knew that Mason would do everything in his power to make sure that the relationship worked out.

Mason was quiet as they drove away, and Liam matched that. He knew that his best friend was trying not to cry, but Liam was surprised to find that a lump was rising in his own throat, and a few tears welled in his eyes as they left Beacon Hills city limits. He reached up to swipe them away, trying to be discreet, but Mason still caught it out of the corner of his eye. 

"I'm sorry that he didn't show up," Mason said softly. 

"It's fine," Liam said. 

"Liam..."

"It's not like I asked him to come or anything."

"That doesn't mean you weren't hoping that he would."

Fuck Mason, for knowing him so well. 

"It's not like we were together." Liam shrugged. 

"You go right ahead and keep telling yourself that," Mason said. "But that won't make it true. What you shared? It wasn't just friends with benefits, man. I know you. I can tell when you're feeling stuff, and you are definitely feeling stuff. It's okay, you know," Mason said softly. "To be sad. Something that made you happy ended."

"Yeah," Liam sighed. "I guess. I just...I didn't think that I would fall for him. I knew that he wasn't gonna fall for me, and I thought I would be okay, you know?"

"I know." Mason smiled sadly, though he kept his eyes on the road. "It's okay to be sad when your heart hurts."

"I wasn't-"

"Liam, it's me," Mason said softly. "You can lie to yourself if you want, but you can't lie to me."

"Fuck." Liam raked a hand through his hair. "Am I in love with him?"

"I don't know, only you can  _ really _ know that," Mason said honestly. "But I think there's a good chance that maybe you are."

"Fuck." He took a deep breath. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"I think you should let it in," Mason said. "We have like a week and a half for you to be sad about it and you have me around to help you process. I'm not saying that's enough time to get over it, but it's a good start."

Liam smiled, reaching up and wiping a couple more stray tears with his hand. "You're a good friend, Mason."

"Yeah," Mason smiled. "So are you."

"Fuck, it sucks," Liam sighed. "Both of us, leaving the guys we..." he paused. "The guys we  _ love _ back home."

Saying it out loud didn't feel better. In fact, in a lot of ways, it felt worse, because he knew that he hadn't admitted it when it still would have mattered. Sure, he could call Theo, tell him now but he knew that it wouldn't change anything. Theo didn't feel that way about him, and even if he did, Liam was on his way out of Beacon Hills for months. By the time he was back, it would be too late. He and Theo hadn't had what Corey and Mason did. It wasn't the same. 

"You know what? Let's sing-scream our way out of California," Mason said.

He handed Liam the aux cord, and soon, they were both bellowing along to Yellowcard's  _ Ocean Avenue _ . 

It wasn't a cure all, but it definitely helped in the moment.   
  
He was leaving Beacon Hills and the man that he loved behind, but it wasn’t the end of the world, and he knew that, even with how much it hurt.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading this story, please, PLEASE don't forget to check out all of the art for this story! My incredible, incredible artist asked I post the rest of them at the end, so here are the pieces! Please, please, please go look at them and shower her with praise!
> 
> [One](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/post/634866343850786816/thiambigbang2020-officialthiamlibrary)  
> [Two](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634868101683593216/tumblr_QFb09iaDZY1m7qwXx)  
> [Three](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634867857506877440/tumblr_N1EKNu40wO6o0Poms)  
> [Four](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/post/634868298849386496/thiambigbang2020-officialthiamlibrary)  
> [Five](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634868434117738496/tumblr_Gf68LQ46CacAoWIvJ)  
> [Six](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634866765605879808/tumblr_numS2Z3pOtbTZpu7K)  
> [Seven](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634867388002746368/tumblr_6skamcir7Gm2eLnvS)  
> [Eight](https://underthegallowws.tumblr.com/private/634867076713054208/tumblr_qPxHLQKxVcJef1vnp)

With Mason by his side, Liam actually processed his feelings over the course of their week and a half on the road. Mason was right, it wasn't a cure all, and as they crossed onto Indiana state lines so that Liam could be dropped off at his apartment near Purdue, he still felt a longing in his chest for what he had left behind. 

"You gonna be okay?" Mason asked as they pulled into the apartment complex. 

"Yeah." Liam nodded. "And it's not like I'm gonna be alone, Garrett's already here." He gestured towards the Honda Civic with the Ohio license plate a few spots away from them in the lot.

"Yeah, but I mean, as good of a roommate as he has been for you since Freshman year, he's not me."

"No one is," Liam said with a smile. "But I can call you if I need you. What about you? Are you good? I know you miss Corey. I've heard your lovesick phone calls with him in the motels."

"Oh my god." Mason rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm gonna see him as soon as possible. I'm actually thinking about flying him out to New Haven for fall break. I just want to prove to him that I'm not going anywhere, even if, I've, you know, gone somewhere."

"Makes sense to me," Liam admitted. "Now help me get my stuff upstairs."

"Alright." Mason parked the car, cut the engine, and grabbed a couple of Liam's bags. Between them, it would probably only take one more trip, but they weren't exactly going light. Liam was wearing a backpack, and had a bag in each hand, and Mason was carrying a gym bag, and a roller suitcase. 

If Garrett was there, he would have already picked up the keys from the landlord, so that was one thing Liam didn't have to do. He set down one of his bags, and tried the door, smiling to find it unlocked. That made things easier. 

"Garrett?" Liam called out, as he dragged his bags through the door. 

"He's uh...he ran down to the corner store for beer."

Liam dropped everything that he was holding, as well as his jaw. 

Theo Raeken was sitting on the couch in the apartment, though he got to his feet as Liam entered the room. 

"I'm gonna...go find him," Mason said. He basically threw the bags down and ran out of the apartment. 

"Theo?" Liam's eyes went wide. "What...what are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"I drove," Theo said. 

"I didn't see-"

"I parked behind the building," Theo said. "I didn't want you to see my truck and then not come in."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because this is crazy, I'm being crazy," Theo said. "I drove all the way across the country-"

"You drove most of the way across the country."

"Can you not right now?" Theo sighed. "Because I'm sort of freaking out, and I need you to listen to me, for just a minute."

"Okay." Liam nodded. 

"I drove across the country, because I...I missed you. I realized it maybe a little too late, but I went to work on that first Monday after you left, and Josh was there, and that was fine, but it wasn't you, and I think that maybe I left some things unsaid, the sorts of things that shouldn't be said over text message, or over the phone, and I couldn't exactly call and ask you to come back, so I cashed in on all the sick days that I haven't taken and-"

"And you chased after me?"

"Yeah." Theo nodded. 

"How did you get into my apartment?"

"Garrett let me in," he said. "I got your address off of Corey, and he knew what day you were supposed to arrive, so I just drove straight through for a few days. Look, if you're not on the same page as me, that's fine, but I think I spent a lot of time telling myself that you were just a distraction, just someone to fill my bed, and just because I insisted it didn't make it true, so..." Theo took a deep breath. "I'm here, and if I'm off base about this, I will go, but I just…” He paused. “Remember when you asked if I was happy and I said that I wasn’t, but I was getting there? I don’t think that was fully true, because every moment I was with you, especially towards the end of summer, I think I  _ was  _ happy, and I just wanted to be looking at you when I told you that I think I'm in love with you, and I understand-"

Liam didn't let Theo finish. He launched himself into Theo's arms, and Theo lost his balance. They tumbled onto the sofa together, and as soon as Liam could find Theo's lips, he kissed them. Theo kissed him back, settling into the couch, drawing Liam in. 

It took Liam a long time to break away from Theo. He was comfortable lying on top of the other man, kissing him as though he hadn't kissed  _ anyone _ in months. 

"I missed you," He breathed, looking down at Theo as he finally managed to tear himself away long enough to speak. "And it's not just you. When I left, I...I was in denial, too, but I'm crazy about you, Theo. Really, really crazy about you, and I don't know how this works, or  _ if _ this works, but you're here. You came after me."

"Yeah." Theo reached up, placing his palm on Liam's cheek, making sure that Liam was looking right at him. "There have been so many bad things in my life, that it was hard for me to recognize something like this, something so good." He leaned up, kissing him softly. "But once I realized it, I knew that I couldn't just let it go without trying. I couldn't just let  _ you _ go."

Liam smiled down at him. 

"I love you, Theo."

Theo looked up at him, and took a deep breath, then another, before responding. 

"You know, you say that, and...and I actually believe it. I don't know how to express how difficult that is for me."

"I think I get it," Liam said. "Or at least I get the idea."

"Yeah?" Theo breathed. 

"Yeah."

"And, Liam," Theo smiled up at him. "I love you, too."

"So, how do we do this?" Liam asked. 

"God, I have no idea." Theo laughed, pulling Liam down to rest on top of him, burying his face in the other man's neck. 

"But...but we make it work?"

"Yeah." Theo nodded against Liam's throat. "We make it work."

Liam hugged Theo as best he could with their awkward position on the sofa.

"I can't believe you drove across the country for me."

"Yeah, I sort of can't believe that, either," Theo admitted. 

"Buuuuut you're glad you did?"

"Yes, idiot, I'm glad I did." Theo shoved Liam off of him, laughing as he did so. 

"How long until you have to go back?" Liam asked. 

"I don't know. A couple days, I guess."

"Alright. I mean, I have registration and stuff, but I don't start classes until Monday, so I have time."

"Okay." Theo smiled. "So you can show me around West Lafayette."

"I mean," Liam laughed. "There's not much to see, and it's probably not the best place for two guys to have a first date, but it'll have to do, because I am not waiting until December to take you out."

"Take me out, huh?"

"Mhmm." Liam nodded. "I figured you drove all the way across the country for me, the least I can do is buy you a burger."

"A burger?" Theo laughed as he pulled his shoes on. "Come on, I drove over 2000 miles for you! I think that merits at  _ least _ a steak."

"Alright." Liam smiled, taking his hand as he headed for the door. "I can buy my boyfriend a steak."

"Boyfriend, huh?"

"I mean..." Liam shrugged. 

"Hey, I'm just teasing." Theo leaned in, kissing Liam quickly just before they walked out the door. "I just drove 2000 miles for you. I better be your boyfriend."

"Weird." Liam wrinkled his nose. 

"Yeah," Theo laughed. "It really is."

And it was weird. They weren't like Mason and Corey, FaceTiming every day, and sending flirty, romantic texts, but they talked, and kept their budding relationship afloat. When Liam came home from winter break, Theo picked him up at the airport, and that night, Liam had the best sex of his life. 

When he graduated, Theo flew out with Liam’s mom and step dad to be there for it, and when Liam got into an Education Masters program in Seattle, they had a long talk, that ended with Theo turning in his apron at Banshee, and getting a small apartment in Green Lake with the man that he loved. 

A part of Theo had always wanted to get out of Beacon Hills, and while he hadn't  _ needed _ Liam to do it, having that push, and the knowledge that there would be something great for him in a new city was easier, and Liam was happy to be that push. After all, Liam had his dreams, and Theo?

Theo could make coffee anywhere.


End file.
